Trisomy 21DNAFirstNCT01966991
Prenatal Screening for Down Syndrome With DNAFirst
An observational study of Trisomy 21 and Trisomy 18, run by Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This study will explore how maternal plasma circulating cell free DNA (ccfDNA) can be used as a primary screening test for Down syndrome as part of routine clinical care in the general pregnancy population. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, women only
- Conditions the study is for
- Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, Trisomy 13
- How many people
- 100 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Jun 2014to Dec 2015
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- Women only
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: Women with a singleton pregnancy at 10 weeks or later who agree to be contacted by telephone to provide consent and participate in a structured survey to assess comprehension and satisfaction with their experience.
Who may be able to join
- at least 10 weeks pregnant
- satisfying inclusion criteria for the ccfDNA test (e.g, singleton, non egg-donor)
- opting for DNAFirst testing
- written permission to be contacted by telephone
- providing a usable phone number for contact
- consenting (verbally) to telephone survey
Who cannot join
- screen positive DNAFirst result
- non-English speaking
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
Providence, Rhode Island, 02905
About this study
Official title: DNAFirst: Primary Screening for Down Syndrome by Maternal Plasma DNA
This study will explore how maternal plasma circulating cell free DNA (ccfDNA) can be used as a primary screening test for Down syndrome as part of routine clinical care in the general pregnancy population. Plasma ccfDNA testing is currently recommended only for use as a secondary screen for 'high-risk' women (i.e., women whose risk factors for trisomy make them candidates for invasive testing such as chorionic villous sampling or amniocentesis). Because most women in this 'high-risk' category are carrying unaffected fetuses, many 'unnecessary' procedures are completed in order to identify the few women whose fetuses have a chromosomal disorder. This creates expense, anxiety, and most importantly, loss of unaffected fetuses due to procedure related miscarriage. Plasma DNA testing is now being used to reduce significantly the number of women with unaffected fetuses undergoing invasive testing.
Applying such testing as a 'first-line' screen has not been well-explored, despite calls from several clinical professional societies to do so. The investigators intent is to introduce, under carefully monitored conditions, ccfDNA testing through Rhode Island primary prenatal practices to the general pregnancy population. Education/orientation of prenatal care providers, their staffs, and their patients will be carefully orchestrated, and implementation issues identified and addressed. Telephone surveys of consented patients will elicit responses to their understanding of the test, their satisfaction with the process, and a comparison of their experience with serum screening in a prior pregnancy. Knowledge gained from this study will help validate new screening paradigms involving ccfDNA testing. The study is not designed to estimate Down syndrome detection rates with any confidence, but can provide information on uptake rates, failure rates, screen positive rates, and the decision-making of women with positive test results.
Read the detailed description
Maternal plasma ccfDNA testing examines fragments of maternal and fetal (placental) DNA that are normally found in the mother's circulation. For any targeted chromosome (e.g., chromosome 21) an excess of fragments from that chromosome can strongly suggest trisomy in the fetus (e.g., trisomy 21 or Down syndrome). This technology has been available since late 2011 but is mainly offered in the 'high-risk setting with motivated patients, intensive education by genetic counselors and maternal-fetal medicine professionals, and low patient volumes. As a secondary screening test in high-risk women, this testing can reduce the frequency of invasive procedures by 90% or more compared to conventional serum screening. Since CVS and amniocentesis are associated with procedure-related fetal loss (an important factor among women refusing these procedures), the use of ccfDNA testing may result in an increase in the prenatal identification of affected fetuses in the high-risk population. However, this technology has not been studied in the general risk group where women usually have no known risk factors when presenting for prenatal care. The investigators' aim is to observe how prenatal practices in Rhode Island are able to offer this technology in place of conventional serum/ultrasound screening as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy. The investigators expect that clinicians and office staff will be challenged by this paradigm shift, as will their patients. The investigators intend to develop an education program for offices and introduce the new test - DNAFirst- methodically in the Women \& Infants Hospital catchment area. The test uptake rate, reaction to its availability, and response to screen positive results will be monitored, along with other measures relevant to implementation and test performance. The investigators also will be surveying by telephone 100 women who have agreed to DNAFirst testing and to being contacted to determine their understanding of and satisfaction with the new test. Many factors may complicate this introduction and these will all need to be addressed. For example, a screen positive result on the DNAFirst test is associated with a much higher risk of aneuploidy(e.g., 1:2) than conventional serum screening. The DNAFirst test is also associated with a higher rate of test failure than serum screening. The DNAFirst testing protocol includes testing a buccal sample from the father of the baby when available. It will be important to gauge how offices and patients perceive and accept these changes.
Secondary screening in high-risk women using ccfDNA is becoming more commonplace and is more often covered by insurers. With expected price reductions due to improvements in sequencing technology, it is likely that in 12-18 months, insurance coverage for ccfDNA testing will become more routine. In such a setting expected test uptake and patient decision-making would not be influenced by the limited insurance currently available. The investigators want to simulate the patient's cost of ccfDNA testing to be similar to that currently encountered for serum screening. Towards that end, Natera, Inc., a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act certified laboratory in San Carlos, California, has agreed to underwrite the cost of ccfDNA testing during the study period. By identifying factors influencing patient acceptance and understanding how patients and providers view this new paradigm compared to established serum and sonographic screening, this project will provide unbiased evidence regarding implementation of ccfDNA testing in a general pregnancy population that could translate into nationwide practice.
- Conditions
- Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, Trisomy 13, Monosomy X
- Keywords
- Down syndrome, prenatal screening, trisomy 21, patient satisfaction
- Medical subject headings
- Down Syndrome, Trisomy 18 Syndrome, Trisomy 13 Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, Patient Satisfaction
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Surveyed DNAFirst users | Women who opted for DNAFirst testing and who provided written permission (attested by signature and provision of telephone number)for DNAFirst Study staff to telephone them and conduct a brief telephone survey about their experiences. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Patient satisfaction with ccfDNA testing as a primary screen for aneuploidy
A telephone survey will be administered to women who have undergone ccfDNA testing (DNAFirst) and who have provided written permission to be contacted specifically for this purpose.Included will be questions designed to elicit understanding of the results, implications of positive and negative results, comparison with earlier serum-screening experience, and reasons for accepting/declining ancillary testing (sex aneuploidy).
Measured: within 90 days of receiving ccfDNA screening results
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Oct 2013 (estimated)
- Study startJun 2014
- Primary completionJul 2015
- Study completionDec 2015
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (5)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Trisomy 21Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Natera, Inc.
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Glenn E Palomaki, PhD, Principal investigator, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01966991
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 13-0013
- Acronym
- DNAFirst
- Status last verified
- Feb 2018
- First submitted
- 17 Oct 2013
- Last updated
- 22 Feb 2018
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Palomaki GE, Kloza EM, Lambert-Messerlian GM, Haddow JE, Neveux LM, Ehrich M, van den Boom D, Bombard AT, Deciu C, Grody WW, Nelson SF, Canick JA. DNA sequencing of maternal plasma to detect Down syndrome: an international clinical validation study. Genet Med. 2011 Nov;13(11):913-20. doi: 10.1097/GIM.0b013e3182368a0e.
PubMed 22005709Palomaki GE, Deciu C, Kloza EM, Lambert-Messerlian GM, Haddow JE, Neveux LM, Ehrich M, van den Boom D, Bombard AT, Grody WW, Nelson SF, Canick JA. DNA sequencing of maternal plasma reliably identifies trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 as well as Down syndrome: an international collaborative study. Genet Med. 2012 Mar;14(3):296-305. doi: 10.1038/gim.2011.73. Epub 2012 Feb 2.
PubMed 22281937Norton ME, Rose NC, Benn P. Noninvasive prenatal testing for fetal aneuploidy: clinical assessment and a plea for restraint. Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Apr;121(4):847-850. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31828642c6.
PubMed 23635685Palomaki GE, Kloza EM, O'Brien BM, Eklund EE, Lambert-Messerlian GM. The clinical utility of DNA-based screening for fetal aneuploidy by primary obstetrical care providers in the general pregnancy population. Genet Med. 2017 Jul;19(7):778-786. doi: 10.1038/gim.2016.194. Epub 2017 Jan 12.
PubMed 28079901Palomaki GE, Ashwood ER, Best RG, Lambert-Messerlian G, Knight GJ. Is maternal plasma DNA testing impacting serum-based screening for aneuploidy in the United States? Genet Med. 2015 Nov;17(11):897-900. doi: 10.1038/gim.2015.39. Epub 2015 Apr 2.
PubMed 25834952
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 22 Feb 2018. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- DNAFirst: Primary Screening for Down Syndrome by Maternal Plasma DNA
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01966991
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- DNAFirst / 13-0013
- Conditions
- Trisomy 21, Trisomy 18, Trisomy 13, Monosomy X
- Keywords
- Down syndrome, prenatal screening, trisomy 21, patient satisfaction
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 100 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode IslandUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Natera, Inc.
- Study start
- Jun 2014
- Primary completion
- Jul 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- Dec 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 22 Oct 2013 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This study will explore how maternal plasma circulating cell free DNA (ccfDNA) can be used as a primary screening test for Down syndrome as part of routine clinical care in the general pregnancy population. Plasma ccfDNA testing is currently recommended only for use as a secondary screen for 'high-risk' women (i.e., women whose risk factors for trisomy make them candidates for invasive testing such as chorionic villous sampling or amniocentesis). Because most women in this 'high-risk' category are carrying unaffected fetuses, many 'unnecessary' procedures are completed in order to identify the few women whose fetuses have a chromosomal disorder. This creates expense, anxiety, and most importantly, loss of unaffected fetuses due to procedure related miscarriage. Plasma DNA testing is now being used to reduce significantly the number of women with unaffected fetuses undergoing invasive testing.
Applying such testing as a 'first-line' screen has not been well-explored, despite calls from several clinical professional societies to do so. The investigators intent is to introduce, under carefully monitored conditions, ccfDNA testing through Rhode Island primary prenatal practices to the general pregnancy population. Education/orientation of prenatal care providers, their staffs, and their patients will be carefully orchestrated, and implementation issues identified and addressed. Telephone surveys of consented patients will elicit responses to their understanding of the test, their satisfaction with the process, and a comparison of their experience with serum screening in a prior pregnancy. Knowledge gained from this study will help validate new screening paradigms involving ccfDNA testing. The study is not designed to estimate Down syndrome detection rates with any confidence, but can provide information on uptake rates, failure rates, screen positive rates, and the decision-making of women with positive test results.
Detailed description
Maternal plasma ccfDNA testing examines fragments of maternal and fetal (placental) DNA that are normally found in the mother's circulation. For any targeted chromosome (e.g., chromosome 21) an excess of fragments from that chromosome can strongly suggest trisomy in the fetus (e.g., trisomy 21 or Down syndrome). This technology has been available since late 2011 but is mainly offered in the 'high-risk setting with motivated patients, intensive education by genetic counselors and maternal-fetal medicine professionals, and low patient volumes. As a secondary screening test in high-risk women, this testing can reduce the frequency of invasive procedures by 90% or more compared to conventional serum screening. Since CVS and amniocentesis are associated with procedure-related fetal loss (an important factor among women refusing these procedures), the use of ccfDNA testing may result in an increase in the prenatal identification of affected fetuses in the high-risk population. However, this technology has not been studied in the general risk group where women usually have no known risk factors when presenting for prenatal care. The investigators' aim is to observe how prenatal practices in Rhode Island are able to offer this technology in place of conventional serum/ultrasound screening as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy. The investigators expect that clinicians and office staff will be challenged by this paradigm shift, as will their patients. The investigators intend to develop an education program for offices and introduce the new test - DNAFirst- methodically in the Women \& Infants Hospital catchment area. The test uptake rate, reaction to its availability, and response to screen positive results will be monitored, along with other measures relevant to implementation and test performance. The investigators also will be surveying by telephone 100 women who have agreed to DNAFirst testing and to being contacted to determine their understanding of and satisfaction with the new test. Many factors may complicate this introduction and these will all need to be addressed. For example, a screen positive result on the DNAFirst test is associated with a much higher risk of aneuploidy(e.g., 1:2) than conventional serum screening. The DNAFirst test is also associated with a higher rate of test failure than serum screening. The DNAFirst testing protocol includes testing a buccal sample from the father of the baby when available. It will be important to gauge how offices and patients perceive and accept these changes.
Secondary screening in high-risk women using ccfDNA is becoming more commonplace and is more often covered by insurers. With expected price reductions due to improvements in sequencing technology, it is likely that in 12-18 months, insurance coverage for ccfDNA testing will become more routine. In such a setting expected test uptake and patient decision-making would not be influenced by the limited insurance currently available. The investigators want to simulate the patient's cost of ccfDNA testing to be similar to that currently encountered for serum screening. Towards that end, Natera, Inc., a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Act certified laboratory in San Carlos, California, has agreed to underwrite the cost of ccfDNA testing during the study period. By identifying factors influencing patient acceptance and understanding how patients and providers view this new paradigm compared to established serum and sonographic screening, this project will provide unbiased evidence regarding implementation of ccfDNA testing in a general pregnancy population that could translate into nationwide practice.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Surveyed DNAFirst users | – | –Women who opted for DNAFirst testing and who provided written permission (attested by signature and provision of telephone number)for DNAFirst Study staff to telephone them and conduct a brief telephone survey about their experiences. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- Women with a singleton pregnancy at 10 weeks or later who agree to be contacted by telephone to provide consent and participate in a structured survey to assess comprehension and satisfaction with their experience.
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- at least 10 weeks pregnant
- satisfying inclusion criteria for the ccfDNA test (e.g, singleton, non egg-donor)
- opting for DNAFirst testing
- written permission to be contacted by telephone
- providing a usable phone number for contact
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- screen positive DNAFirst result
- non-English speaking
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Patient satisfaction with ccfDNA testing as a primary screen for aneuploidy
Time frame: within 90 days of receiving ccfDNA screening results
A telephone survey will be administered to women who have undergone ccfDNA testing (DNAFirst) and who have provided written permission to be contacted specifically for this purpose.Included will be questions designed to elicit understanding of the results, implications of positive and negative results, comparison with earlier serum-screening experience, and reasons for accepting/declining ancillary testing (sex aneuploidy).
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 22 Feb 2018.
- Background: PubMed 22005709Palomaki GE, Kloza EM, Lambert-Messerlian GM, Haddow JE, Neveux LM, Ehrich M, van den Boom D, Bombard AT, Deciu C, Grody WW, Nelson SF, Canick JA. DNA sequencing of maternal plasma to detect Down syndrome: an international clinical validation study. Genet Med. 2011 Nov;13(11):913-20. doi: 10.1097/GIM.0b013e3182368a0e.
- Background: PubMed 22281937Palomaki GE, Deciu C, Kloza EM, Lambert-Messerlian GM, Haddow JE, Neveux LM, Ehrich M, van den Boom D, Bombard AT, Grody WW, Nelson SF, Canick JA. DNA sequencing of maternal plasma reliably identifies trisomy 18 and trisomy 13 as well as Down syndrome: an international collaborative study. Genet Med. 2012 Mar;14(3):296-305. doi: 10.1038/gim.2011.73. Epub 2012 Feb 2.
- Background: PubMed 23635685Norton ME, Rose NC, Benn P. Noninvasive prenatal testing for fetal aneuploidy: clinical assessment and a plea for restraint. Obstet Gynecol. 2013 Apr;121(4):847-850. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31828642c6.
- Results publication: PubMed 28079901Palomaki GE, Kloza EM, O'Brien BM, Eklund EE, Lambert-Messerlian GM. The clinical utility of DNA-based screening for fetal aneuploidy by primary obstetrical care providers in the general pregnancy population. Genet Med. 2017 Jul;19(7):778-786. doi: 10.1038/gim.2016.194. Epub 2017 Jan 12.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 25834952Palomaki GE, Ashwood ER, Best RG, Lambert-Messerlian G, Knight GJ. Is maternal plasma DNA testing impacting serum-based screening for aneuploidy in the United States? Genet Med. 2015 Nov;17(11):897-900. doi: 10.1038/gim.2015.39. Epub 2015 Apr 2.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Glenn E Palomaki, PhD principal investigator
Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Trisomy 21 and Trisomy 18, run by Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 22 Feb 2018. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Patient satisfaction with ccfDNA testing as a primary screen for aneuploidy (time frame: within 90 days of receiving ccfDNA screening results). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01966991, which also lists 5 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 22 Feb 2018.