ASSAY SYSTEMS FOR DETECTION OF ANEUPLOIDY AND SEX DETERMINATION

1 . An assay system for detection of the presence or absence of a sex chromosome aneuploidy comprising the steps of:

providing a biological sample containing DNA;

amplifying one or more selected nucleic acid regions from a pseudoautosomal region in the biological sample;

amplifying one or more selected nucleic acid regions from an autosomal region in the biological sample;

detecting the amplified nucleic acid regions;

quantifying the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions;

comparing the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions; and

identifying the presence or absence of an aneuploidy of a sex chromosome based on the compared relative frequencies of the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions.

2 . An assay system for detection of the presence or absence of a sex chromosome aneuploidy comprising the steps of:

providing a mixed sample comprising cell free DNA;

amplifying two or more selected nucleic acid regions from a pseudoautosomal region in the mixed sample;

amplifying two or more selected nucleic acid regions from an autosomal region in the mixed sample;

detecting the amplified nucleic acid regions;

quantifying the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions;

comparing the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions; and

identifying the presence or absence of an aneuploidy of a sex chromosome based on the compared relative frequencies of the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions.

3 . The assay system of claim 2 , wherein the relative frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions are individually quantified, and the relative frequencies of the individual nucleic acid regions are compared to determine the presence or absence of a sex chromosome aneuploidy.

4 . The assay system of claim 2 , wherein the comparison of the relative frequencies of the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions is expressed as a chromosomal ratio.

5 . The assay system of claim 4 , wherein the chromosomal ratio is compared to the mean chromosomal ratio from a reference population and the threshold for identifying the presence or absence of an aneuploidy is at least three times the chromosomal variation of the reference population.

6 . The assay system of claim 2 , wherein the quantified relative frequencies of the nucleic acid regions are used to determine a chromosome frequency of one or both of the sex chromosomes, and wherein the presence or absence of an aneuploidy is based on the compared chromosome frequencies.

7 . The assay system of claim 2 , wherein the quantified relative frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions are normalized following detection and prior to quantification.

8 . The assay system of claim 7 , wherein the relative frequencies of each nucleic acid region for each chromosome are summed and the sums for each chromosome are compared to calculate a chromosomal ratio.

9 . The assay system of claim 8 , wherein the chromosomal ratio is compared to the mean chromosomal ratio from a normal population and the threshold for identifying the presence or absence of an aneuploidy is at least three times the chromosomal variation in a normal population.

10 . The assay system of claim 2 , where the nucleic acid regions are assayed in a single vessel.

11 . The assay system of claim 2 , where the nucleic acid regions undergo a universal amplification.

12 . The assay system of claim 2 , where the nucleic acid regions are each counted an average of at least 500 times.

13 . The assay system of claim 2 , wherein the frequency of non-pseudoautosomal regions of the X chromosome are used to determine the type of sex chromosomal abnormality.

14 . The assay system of claim 2 , wherein the frequency of non-pseudoautosomal regions of the Y chromosome are used to determine the type of sex chromosomal abnormality.

15 . An assay system for detection of the presence or absence of a fetal sex chromosome aneuploidy in a maternal sample, comprising the steps of:

providing a maternal sample comprising maternal and fetal cell free DNA;

amplifying two or more selected nucleic acid regions from a pseudoautosomal region in the maternal sample;

amplifying two or more selected nucleic acid regions from an autosomal region in the maternal sample;

detecting the amplified nucleic acid regions;

quantifying the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions;

comparing the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions; and

identifying the presence or absence of a fetal aneuploidy based on the compared relative frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions.

16 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the maternal sample is maternal blood, maternal plasma or maternal serum.

17 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the maternal sample is maternal plasma.

18 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the relative frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions are individually calculated, and the relative frequencies of the individual nucleic acid regions are compared to determine the presence or absence of a fetal aneuploidy.

19 . The assay system of claim 16 , wherein the comparison of the relative frequencies of the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions is expressed as a chromosomal ratio.

20 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the relative frequencies of the nucleic acid regions are used to determine a chromosome frequency of the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions, and wherein the presence or absence of a fetal aneuploidy is based on the compared chromosomal frequencies.

21 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the quantified relative frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions are normalized following detection and prior to quantification.

22 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the selected nucleic acid regions are associated with one or more identifying indices.

23 . The assay system of claim 22 , wherein the frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions are quantified based on identification of the one or more associated indices.

24 . The assay system of claim 22 , wherein the relative frequencies of each nucleic acid region for each chromosome are summed and the sums for each chromosome compared to calculate a chromosomal ratio.

25 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the chromosomal ratio is compared to the mean chromosomal ratio from a normal population and the threshold for identifying the presence or absence of an aneuploidy is at least three times the chromosomal variation in the normal population.

26 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the nucleic acid regions are assayed in a single vessel.

27 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the nucleic acid regions undergo a universal amplification.

28 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the nucleic acid regions are each counted an average of at least 500 times.

29 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the frequency of non-pseudoautosomal regions of the X chromosome are used to determine the type of sex chromosomal abnormality.

30 . The assay system of claim 15 , wherein the frequency of non-pseudoautosomal regions of the Y chromosome are used to determine the type of sex chromosomal abnormality.

31 . An assay system for determination of fetal sex in a maternal sample, comprising:

providing a maternal sample comprising maternal and fetal cell free DNA;

amplifying two or more selected nucleic acid regions from a pseudoautosomal region of a sex chromosome in the maternal sample;

amplifying two or more selected nucleic acid regions from a sex chromosome outside the pseudoautosomal regions;

determining the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the sex chromosomes in the maternal sample;

comparing the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal regions and from the regions outside of the pseudoautosomal regions; and

identifying the fetal sex based on the compared relative frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions.

32 . The assay system of claim 31 , wherein the maternal sample is maternal blood, maternal plasma or maternal serum.

33 . The assay system of claim 31 , wherein the maternal sample is maternal blood.

34 . The assay system of claim 31 , wherein the relative frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions are individually calculated, and the relative frequencies of the individual nucleic acid regions of the pseudoautosomal regions and the regions of the sex chromosome outside the pseudoautosomal regions are compared to determine the fetal sex.

35 . The assay system of claim 31 , wherein the regions from a sex chromosome in the maternal sample outside the pseudoautosomal regions are from the Y chromosome.

36 . The assay system of claim 31 , wherein the regions from a sex chromosome in the maternal sample outside the pseudoautosomal regions are from the X chromosome.

37 . The assay system of claim 31 , wherein the selected nucleic acid regions are associated with one or more identifying indices.

38 . The assay system of claim 31 , wherein the frequencies of the selected nucleic acid regions are quantified based on identification of the one or more associated indices.

39 . An assay system for detection of the presence or absence of a sex chromosome aneuploidy comprising the steps of

providing a mixed sample comprising cell free DNA;

sequencing cell-free DNA from the mixed sample;

analyzing the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions;

comparing the relative frequency of the selected nucleic acid regions from the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions; and

identifying the presence or absence of an aneuploidy of a sex chromosome in a cell population based on the compared relative frequencies of the pseudoautosomal and autosomal regions.