Expert consensus on clinical genome sequencing interpretation and reporting.

Abstract

Genome sequencing (GS) refers to a technology that comprehensively and systematically detects the DNA sequences of an individual's nuclear and mitochondrial genomes. It aims to identify genetic variants and investigate their roles in human health and disease progression. As an emerging diagnostic tool, GS offers significant support for clinical diagnosis due to its high throughput, accuracy, and comprehensiveness. However, the complexity of data analysis and interpretation requires substantial professional expertise and experience, posing considerable challenges. When applying GS technology for molecular diagnosis of genetic diseases, ethical and technical issues related to clinical application arise, including informed consent, diagnostic data interpretation, and defining the scope and content of clinical reports. This expert consensus outlines the core workflow of clinical genome sequencing (cGS), clarifies its testing scope and technical limitations, and provides key steps for data quality control, analysis, annotation, and variant interpretation. It also addresses controversial issues related to report content and informed consent. This consensus aims to assist professionals in accurately understanding and appropriately utilizing clinical genome sequencing, thereby improving diagnostic accuracy for genetic diseases, enhancing the clinical utility of the technology, and advancing medical scientific research.