When should we offer antenatal sequencing for urinary tract malformations? A systematic review, cohort study and meta‐analysis

Abstract

ObjectiveDetermine the incremental yield of prenatal exome sequencing (PES) over chromosome microarray (CMA) and/or karyotype for urinary tract malformations (UTMs).MethodA prospective cohort study encompassing data from the English Genomic Medicine Service North Thames Laboratory Hub for fetuses with bilateral echogenic kidneys (BEKs) was combined with data from a systematic review. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, MedRxiv and GreyLit were searched from 01/2010‐02/2023 for studies reporting on the yield of PES over CMA or karyotype in fetuses with UTMs. Pooled incremental yield was determined using a random effects model. PROSPERO CRD42023364544.ResultsFourteen studies (410 cases) were included. The incremental yield for multisystem UTMs, any isolated UTMs, and BEKs was 31% [95% CI, 18%–46%; I2 = 78%], 16% [95% CI, 6%–26%; I2 = 80%] and 51% [95% CI, 27%–75%; I2 = 34%]. The most common clinical diseases and syndromes identified, based on the variant genes detected, were Bardet‐Biedl syndrome (BBS genes), dominant and recessive polycystic kidney diseases (PKD1, PKD2 and PKHD1) and renal cysts and diabetes syndrome (HNF1B).ConclusionThere was a notable incremental genetic diagnostic yield when PES was applied to multisystem UTMs and BEKs. There was a modest incremental yield when this technique was used for UTMs other than BEKs.