The molecular database that provides guidelines for your body’s functioning, DNA, is examined as part of a genetic test. Changes or mutations in your DNA may be discovered via genetic testing and may cause your sickness. However, there are limits to genetic testing in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. As an example, a positive genetic test result doesn’t always suggest that you’ll get an illness.
A negative test result does not ensure that you will not suffer from a specific condition under particular circumstances. For example, using a blood sample and genome sequencing, certain institutions may determine whether you have a hereditary condition even if no diagnosis has been made via genetic testing. A person’s genome is composed of the DNA in all their genes and is unique to them.
This in-depth examination of your DNA might reveal potential links between certain traits you have and your health. Most of the time, the exome or DNA regions that code for proteins in the only sections of the genome are analyzed.
Types of genetic testing available
Genes, chromosomes, and proteins may all be examined via various genetic testing methods. Test selection depends on several criteria, including what ailment or disorders are being investigated and what genetic variants are often related. A test that examines many genes and chromosomes may be utilized if the diagnosis is still uncertain.
Some prevalent types are as follows:
Targeted single variant:
Testing that checks for a single variation in a single gene is called single variant tests. The chosen variation is known to be responsible for a problem (for instance, the particular variation within the HBB gene accountable for sickle cell disease). It is common to practice to put family members of someone who is known to have a particular variation through this kind of test to establish whether or not they have a disease that runs in the family.
In addition, direct-to-consumer genetic testing organizations often analyze several specific variations inside certain genes instead of detecting all the mutations in those genes when presenting information about the risk of health conditions or diseases.
Single gene:
Tests that examine a single gene check for any genetic variations that may have occurred in that gene. These tests are often used to verify or rule out a specific diagnosis. However, it is handy in situations when there are many variations in the gene that might cause the ailment that is being investigated.
Gene panel:
Panel testing investigates the possibility of variations in further than one gene. When a person exhibits symptoms that may suit a wide variety of disorders or when mutations might cause the alleged ailment in many genes, this test is commonly used to establish a diagnosis for the individual. This is because this form of trial is very accurate. For instance, there are lots of different genetic factors that might lead to epilepsy.
Whole-exome sequencing/whole genome sequencing:
These tests examine a significant portion of an individual’s DNA to look for inherited differences. When a single gene or panel test has not yielded a conclusion, or when the suspected ailment or genetic etiology is unknown, it is common practice to do sequencing on the whole genome or the entire exome. This is referred to as whole-genome sequencing.
The sequencing of the entire exome or the whole genome may often be more time and money efficient than the performance of several single-gene or panel testing.
Chromosomal tests:
It examines the whole of chromosomes or long stretches of DNA to find alterations on a wide scale. For example, changes such as an additional or missing copy of a chromosome, known alternately as trisomy or monosomy, a substantial section of a chromosome that is added or absent, or rearrangements of segments of chromosomes may be observed.
A chromosomal test may be performed if a patient is suspected of having one of these genetic diseases since some genetic conditions are linked to specific chromosomal alterations.
Biochemical tests:
It does not directly evaluate DNA but instead studies the number of proteins or enzymes created from genes and the activity level of those proteins and enzymes. Abnormalities in these compounds may indicate alterations in the DNA that are the underlying cause of a genetic illness.
Gene expression tests:
This test examines the many kinds of cells to determine which genes are active and which are inactive. When a gene is switched on or busy, the cell creates a molecule known as mRNA from the instructions contained in the gene. The mRNA molecule serves for the creation of proteins.
Gene activity may be deduced from assays examining cells’ messenger RNA (mRNA). For example, an excess of action, also known as overexpression, or an absence of activity, also known as under expression, of a given gene might indicate a particular hereditary condition, such as several different forms of cancer.