The Application of Whole-Exome Sequencing in the Early Diagnosis of Rare Genetic Diseases in Children: A Study from Southeastern China

Background: Genetic diseases exhibit significant clinical and genetic diversity, leading to a complex and challenging diagnostic process. Exploiting novel approaches is imperative for the molecular diagnosis of genetic diseases. In this study, we utilized whole-exome sequencing (WES) to facilitate early diagnosis in patients suspected of genetic disorders. Methods: This retrospective analysis included 144 patients diagnosed by singleton-WES Trio-WES between January 2021 and December 2023. We investigated the relevance of diagnosis rates with age, clinical presentation, and sample type. Results: Among the 144 patients, 61 were diagnosed, yielding an overall diagnostic rate of 42.36%, with Trio-WES demonstrating a significantly higher diagnostic rate of 51.43% (36/70) compared to singleton-WES at 33.78% (25/74) (p