Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42366398›Full record

ArticleReproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E2026

Prospective clinical validation of targeted long-read sequencing for preimplantation genetic testing of α-thalassaemia.

Qiuwen Shi, Huiying Fang, Ji Zhang, Ning Li, Changlong Xu, Yuesheng Liao, Ying Huang, Nina Li, Ling Zhou, Rongyi Wang and 2 more

Abstract readValidation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Qiuwen Shi *The Nanning Second People's Hospital (Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning, Guangxi, 530031, China.
Huiying Fang *Berry Genomics Corporation, Beijing, 102200, China.
Ji ZhangBerry Genomics Corporation, Beijing, 102200, China.
Ning LiThe Nanning Second People's Hospital (Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning, Guangxi, 530031, China.
Changlong XuThe Nanning Second People's Hospital (Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning, Guangxi, 530031, China.
Yuesheng LiaoThe Nanning Second People's Hospital (Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning, Guangxi, 530031, China.
Ying HuangThe Nanning Second People's Hospital (Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning, Guangxi, 530031, China.
Nina LiThe Nanning Second People's Hospital (Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning, Guangxi, 530031, China.
Ling ZhouThe Nanning Second People's Hospital (Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning, Guangxi, 530031, China.
Rongyi WangBerry Genomics Corporation, Beijing, 102200, China.
Jiaqi LiBerry Genomics Corporation, Beijing, 102200, China.
Rong LiThe Nanning Second People's Hospital (Guangxi Clinical Research Center for Reproductive Medicine), The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University , Nanning, Guangxi, 530031, China. LiRong@sr.gxmu.edu.cn.

Funding

Guangxi Key Research and Development Program Guike AB25069053
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPreimplantation genetic testing for monogenic disorders (PGT-M) can prevent transmission of severe α-thalassaemia, but conventional workflows remain limited by family-specific assay design for direct variant detection, dependence on additional family samples for haplotype construction, and labour-intensive multi-step procedures across several platforms. Targeted long-read sequencing-based PGT-M for α-thalassaemia (tlrPGT-α-thal) integrates direct variant detection and haplotype linkage analysis within a single assay, but prospective clinical validation is lacking.

methodsThis prospective clinical study enrolled 103 families at high risk of transmitting α-thalassaemia at a reproductive medicine centre between August 2024 and March 2025. All families underwent blinded parallel analysis using both conventional NGS-based PGT-M (comparator) and tlrPGT-α-thal.

resultsIn the primary concordance analysis, tlrPGT-α-thal was fully concordant with conventional NGS-based PGT-M (507/507, 100.0%; exact 95% CI, 99.3-100.0). Direct variant detection was successful in 501/507 embryos (98.82%; 95% CI, 97.4-99.6), haplotype linkage was established in 505/507 embryos (99.61%; 95% CI, 98.6-100.0), and one meiotic recombination event was identified. Among 93 families proceeding to embryo transfer, 57 pregnancies underwent invasive prenatal diagnosis, and all were concordant with the corresponding tlrPGT-α-thal results. Of the 26 comparator-inconclusive embryos, tlrPGT-α-thal resolved 6 complex cases, including cases with incomplete pedigrees or insufficient informative SNPs. Among the remaining 20 embryos with HBA-region aneuploidies, genotype and parental origin could be determined in 12.

conclusionsThe findings show that tlrPGT-α-thal enables direct detection of diverse α-thalassaemia-causing variants together with efficient haplotype linkage analysis within a single workflow, without requiring family-specific assay design or additional family samples. The method demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy while providing added value in complex scenarios. Taken together, tlrPGT-α-thal represents a simplified and broadly applicable strategy for α-thalassaemia PGT-M.

Indexed as

alpha-ThalassemiaGenetic TestingPreimplantation DiagnosisAdultFemaleHaplotypesHigh-Throughput Nucleotide SequencingHumansPregnancyProspective StudiesDirect variant detection in embryosLong-read sequencingPreimplantation genetic testingProband-independent linkage analysisSingle-nucleotide polymorphismα-thalassaemia

Identifiers

PMID42366398
PMCPMC13576123

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.