Genetic analysis of a family with congenital heart defects caused by chromosome 8p23.1 deletion

OBJECTIVE: To explore the genetic basis for a family affected with congenital heart defects. METHODS: G-banding karyotyping, chromosomal microarray analysis (CMA) and multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) were carried out to detect copy number variants in a patient with left ventricular noncompaction (LVNC) and his fetus. RESULTS: G-banding karyotyping showed the patient was 45,XY,rob(15;21)(q10;q10)[36]/46,XY[64], while the fetus had an normal karyotype. CMA revealed that both had arr[hg19]8p23.1(11 232 919-11 935 465)x1. MLPA showed both had deletion of all exons of the GATA4 gene. CONCLUSION: The LVNC of the patient and the ventricular septal defect(VSD) of his fetus may result from the same 8p23.1 deletion, for which GATA4 is probably the key gene.