Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program for CFTR Mutation Detection and Gene Sequencing to Identify Cystic Fibrosis

All newborn screening laboratories in the United States and many worldwide screen for cystic fibrosis. Most laboratories use a second-tier genotyping assay to identify a panel of mutations in the CF transmembrane regulator (CFTR) gene. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Newborn Screening Quality Assurance Program houses a dried blood spot repository of samples containing CFTR mutations to assist newborn screening laboratories and ensure high-quality mutation detection in a high-throughput environment. Recently, CFTR mutation detection has increased in complexity with expanded genotyping panels and gene sequencing. To accommodate the growing quality assurance needs, the repository samples were characterized with several multiplex genotyping methods, Sanger sequencing, and 3 next-generation sequencing assays using a high-throughput, low-concentration DNA extraction method. The samples performed well in all of the assays, providing newborn screening laboratories with a resource for complex CFTR mutation detection and next-generation sequencing as they transition to new methods.