In paternity testing, the readability of testing depends upon the fetal fraction accuracy. If you want non-invasive prenatal paternity testing to give the most accurate results, then it is better to go for fetal fraction. The concept of this testing is linked with NIPT testing which helps to determine the risk or presence of any genetic condition in the fetus that may hamper the growth. In this article, you will read about fetal fraction accuracy and its importance in paternity testing.
What is Fetal Fraction Accuracy?
Fetal fraction accuracy refers to the amount or proportion of fetal DNA that is present within the bloodstream of a pregnant woman. The blood of the mother is the source of fetal DNA in many non-invasive prenatal testing. The fetal DNA directly comes from the fetus within the bloodstream of the mother. Further, it is the proportion of the total percentage of the presence of fetal DNA within the blood. This percentage holds significance for various testing, specifically non-invasive testing, which is NIPT.
What is the Importance of Fetal Fraction Accuracy in NIPT?
The importance of fetal fraction in NIPT cannot be ignored. It holds significance due for many reasons including the following:
- The accuracy of NIPT depends upon fetal fraction accuracy. A high fetal fraction accuracy helps to increase the likelihood of the presence and collection of fetal DNA for accurate testing.
- The high fetal fraction accuracy reduces the risk of false positives. This may reduce the unnecessary anxiety and the need for invasive procedures.
- It also reduces the risk of false negatives. This may delay the diagnosis and hinder the treatment procedure for genetic disability.
- Fetal fraction significantly increases the sensitivity and accuracy of NIPT testing.
- On the other hand, it also increases the specificity as the main purpose of fetal accuracy is to determine the presence or absence of fetal DNA within the bloodstream of the mother.
Apart from that, some consequences of low fetal fraction accuracy include the following:
- It increases the risk of false positives.
- It increases the risk of false negatives to a larger extent.
- The low rare delays the diagnosis process and hinders the treatment process.
- Lastly, the low rate increases the cost of healthcare as it leads to further tests and screening.
What is the Method of Calculating Fetal Fraction Accuracy?
There is a long procedure for calculating the fetal fraction accuracy that includes the following steps:
- The first step involves the extraction of the blood sample of the mother using a standardized kit.
- The sample goes to the lab to extract the DNA from the sample for sequencing and creating a list of DNA fragments.
- The next step is sequencing through next next-generation sequencing platform. This leads to the creation of short DNA sequences called reads. After that comes the read alignment process as per a sample such as the human genome.
- This is then analyzed for detecting the presence of fetal DNA.
What are the Factors that Determine the Fetal Fraction Accuracy?
Some of the factors that determine the accuracy include the following:
- Gestational age increases the risk of accuracy as with an increase in gestational age, there is an increase of fetal DNA.
- The concentration of fetal DNA within the bloodstream increases the rate of accuracy of testing.
- However, the concentration of maternal DNA tends to have an impact on the accuracy of fetal testing.
Fetal Fraction Accuracy vs. Other Genetic Tests
Apart from fetal fraction accuracy, some other testing that requires the mother's blood as the sample is NIPP or non-invasive prenatal paternity testing. This test also demands the father's DNA, which is collected through mouth swab testing.
What are the Clinical Implications of Fetal Fraction Accuracy?
The implications for fetal fraction accuracy testing include the following:
- It helps detect the risk of genetic conditions like Down syndrome and patau syndrome.
- This testing can impact the diagnosis of other conditions including sickle cell disease and thalassemia.
Conclusion
Fetal fraction accuracy is one of the best ways to determine the risk of any genetic condition. In addition, it also helps identify other health conditions within the fetus. The accuracy of testing relies on many factors as stated, but it also relies on the lab as well. However, with the Choice DNA Testing lab, you do not have to worry about the reliability of testing.
