A capillary electrophoresis-based multiplex PCR assay for expanded carrier screening in the eastern Han Chinese population

Expanded carrier screening, a type of reproductive genetic testing for couples, has gained tremendous popularity for assessing the risk of passing on certain genetic conditions to offspring. Here, a carrier screening assay for 448 pathogenic variants was developed using capillary electrophoresis-based multiplex PCR technology. The capillary electrophoresis-based multiplex PCR assay achieved a sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 97.4%, 100%, and 99.6%, respectively, in detecting the specific variants. Among the 1915 couples (3830 individuals), 708 individuals (18.5%) were identified as carriers for at least one condition. Of the 708 carriers, 633 (89.4%) were heterozygous for one condition, 71 (10.0%) for two disorders, 3 (0.4%) for three disorders, and 1 (0.1%) for four disorders. Meanwhile, 30 (1.57%) couples were identified as at‐risk couples. This study describes an inexpensive and effective method for expanded carrier screening. The simplicity and accuracy of this approach will facilitate the clinical implementation of expanded carrier screening.