SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PERFORMING AND OPTIMIZING PERFORMANCE OF DNA-BASED NONINVASIVE PRENATAL SCREENS

1 . A computer-implemented method for optimizing performance of a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-based noninvasive prenatal screen, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

generating a plurality of synthetic sequencing datasets, each of the plurality of synthetic sequencing datasets representing genetic sequencing data from a sample comprising maternal and fetal cell-free DNA (cfDNA), by, for each of the plurality of synthetic sequencing datasets:

generating at least one of a plurality of synthetic copy number variants comprising a synthetic number of copies of at least a portion of a region of interest represented by a synthetic number of sequencing reads from one or more segments within the region of interest; and

modifying a real sequencing dataset, which includes genetic sequencing data from a real test sample comprising maternal and fetal cfDNA, by replacing a number of real sequencing reads from the one or more segments within the region of interest in the real test sample with the synthetic number of sequencing reads; and

calculating a potential impact of each of the plurality of synthetic copy number variants on a fetal chromosomal abnormality call during DNA-based noninvasive prenatal screening based on the plurality of synthetic sequencing datasets.

2 - 39 . (canceled)

40 . A method for performing a DNA-based noninvasive prenatal screen on a sample that includes maternal DNA and fetal DNA, the method comprising:

isolating cfDNA fragments from a sample that includes maternal cfDNA and fetal cfDNA;

sequencing each of the cfDNA fragments to obtain a plurality of fragment sequencing reads;

identifying target sequencing reads of the plurality of fragment sequencing reads, the identified target sequencing reads being mappable to specified locations of a reference genome;

determining, out of the identified target sequencing reads, a quantity of target sequencing reads for a region of interest;

calculating a statistical z-score for the region of interest based on the quantity of target sequencing reads for the region of interest;

determining whether the calculated statistical z-score for the region of interest is outside of a predetermined z-score range, a calculated statistical z-score outside of the predetermined z-score range representing a positive call for a fetal chromosomal abnormality in the region of interest of the fetal DNA;

determining whether maternal genomic DNA from the individual includes at least one copy number variant; and

determining, when the maternal genomic DNA from the individual is determined to include at least one copy number variant, whether a feature value of the at least one copy number variant is greater than a threshold feature value, a feature value greater than the threshold feature value indicating that a call for the fetal chromosomal abnormality is likely a false call.

41 - 65 . (canceled)

66 . A method for performing a DNA-based noninvasive prenatal screen on a sample that includes maternal DNA and fetal DNA, the method comprising:

isolating cfDNA fragments from a sample that includes maternal cfDNA and fetal cfDNA;

sequencing each of the cfDNA fragments to obtain a plurality of fragment sequencing reads;

identifying target sequencing reads of the plurality of fragment sequencing reads, the identified target sequencing reads being mappable to specified locations of a reference genome;

analyzing the identified target sequencing reads to determine whether maternal genomic DNA from the individual includes at least one copy number variant;

adjusting, when the maternal genomic DNA from the individual is determined to include at least one copy number variant, a quantity of target sequencing reads of the identified target sequencing reads for at least one variant region corresponding to the at least one copy number variant to generate an adjusted set of target sequencing reads;

determining, out of the identified target sequencing reads, a quantity of target sequencing reads for a region of interest;

generating an adjusted quantity of target sequencing reads for the region of interest based on the adjusted set of target sequencing reads;

calculating a statistical z-score for the region of interest based on the adjusted quantity of target sequencing reads for the region of interest; and

determining whether the calculated statistical z-score for the region of interest is outside of a predetermined z-score range, a calculated statistical z-score outside of the predetermined z-score range representing a positive call for a fetal chromosomal abnormality in the region of interest of the fetal DNA.

67 . The method of claim 66 , wherein generating the adjusted quantity of target sequencing reads for the region of interest comprises replacing sequencing reads of the quantity of target sequencing reads in the at least one variant region with the adjusted set of target sequencing reads.

68 . The method of claim 66 , wherein adjusting the quantity of target sequencing reads in the at least one variant region to generate the adjusted set of target sequencing reads comprises increasing the number of target sequencing reads in the at least one variant region.

69 . The method of claim 66 , wherein adjusting the quantity of target sequencing reads in the at least one variant region to generate the adjusted set of target sequencing reads comprises decreasing the number of target sequencing reads in the at least one variant region.

70 . The method of claim 66 , wherein adjusting the quantity of target sequencing reads in the at least one variant region to generate the adjusted set of target sequencing reads comprises removing target sequencing reads in the at least one variant region.

71 . The method of claim 66 , wherein determining the quantity of target sequencing reads for the region of interest comprises determining a number of target sequencing reads in each of a plurality of bins corresponding to the region of interest.

72 . The method of claim 71 , wherein calculating the statistical z-score for the region of interest based on the adjusted quantity of target sequencing reads for the region of interest comprises calculating the statistical z-score for the region of interest based on the average number of target sequencing reads per bin for the plurality of bins corresponding to the region of interest.

73 . The method of claim 66 , further comprising determining, when the maternal genomic DNA from the individual is determined to include the at least one copy number variant, whether a feature value of the at least one copy number variant is greater than a threshold feature value, a feature value greater than the threshold feature value indicating that a call for the fetal chromosomal abnormality is likely a false call.

74 . The method of claim 73 , wherein the threshold feature value comprises a threshold percentage of a chromosome covered by the at least one copy number variant.

75 . The method of claim 73 , wherein the threshold feature value comprises a threshold base pair length of the at least one copy number variant.

76 . The method of claim 73 , wherein the threshold feature value is determined based on analysis of a plurality of synthetic sequencing datasets each representing genetic sequencing data, each of the plurality of synthetic sequencing datasets being generated by:

generating at least one of a plurality of synthetic copy number variants comprising a synthetic number of copies of at least a portion of a specified region of interest represented by a synthetic number of sequencing reads from one or more segments within the specified region of interest; and

modifying a real sequencing dataset that includes genetic sequencing data of a real test sample by replacing a number of real sequencing reads from the one or more segments within the specified region of interest in the real test sample with the synthetic number of sequencing reads.

77 . The method of claim 76 , wherein the threshold feature value is further determined by calculating a potential impact of each of the plurality of synthetic copy number variants on a fetal chromosomal abnormality call during DNA-based noninvasive prenatal screening based on the plurality of synthetic sequencing datasets.

78 . The method of claim 66 , wherein the fetal chromosomal abnormality comprises a chromosomal aneuploidy.

79 . The method of claim 66 , wherein the fetal chromosomal abnormality comprises at least one of a chromosomal microdeletion and a chromosomal microduplication.

80 . The method of claim 66 , wherein the at least one copy number variant comprises at least one of a deletion and a duplication.

81 . The method of claim 66 , wherein the region of interest comprises a chromosome or a selected portion of a chromosome.

82 . The method of claim 66 , wherein the region of interest and the at least one copy number variant are located in the same chromosome.

83 . The method of claim 66 , wherein the region of interest and the at least one copy number variant are located in different chromosomes.