Prenatal diagnosis of haemophilia B by the use of polymerase chain reaction and direct sequencing.

A second prenatal diagnosis of severe haemophilia B was carried out in a family with no prior history of the disease. The first prenatal diagnosis was based on linkage analysis and showed the male fetus not to be affected because he had inherited the same X-chromosome as his healthy brother. Carrier status in the female at risk could not be assessed by restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). She was found to have inherited the same marker constellation as her affected brother. However, due to the fact that a pedigree with no prior history of haemophilia B has been examined diagnosis was impossible. In addition factor IX coagulant and antigen values gave no definitive clue to a haemophilia B carriership. The problems with RFLP analysis in this pedigree were circumvented by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based direct sequencing of the factor IX gene. A previously unknown mutation could be detected in patient haemophilia B (Kleve) and the carrier status in the female at risk could be confirmed. The second prenatal diagnosis showed that the male fetus had inherited the mutation and will therefore be afflicted with haemophilia B.