Genetics company presents new data relating to prenatal and genetic testing.

2003 DEC 4 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) -- Genzyme Genetics, a business unit of Genzyme Corp. (GENZ), presented data from a series of large prenatal and genetic screening studies at the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG) annual meeting in Los Angeles, California.

Four oral presentations and eight poster presentations related to screening for genetic diseases including Down syndrome, Fragile X, and Tay-Sachs, and prenatal testing such as amniocentesis, represented Genzyme Genetics' largest showing to date at the scientific conference.

Highlighted findings from the four podium presentations include:

1) Demographic and cultural factors weigh more heavily in decisions to have amniocentesis to test for Down syndrome than do numerical risk factors such as age.

2) The carrier rate for Fragile X syndrome - the leading cause of inherited mental retardation - supports consideration of widespread screening for all pregnant women, not only those with a family history of the disease.

3) The combination of enzyme and DNA analysis should become the preferred method in carrier testing for the devastating Tay-Sachs disease.

4) A compelling relationship exists between low estriol values and several serious genetic disorders.