Pathogenic

How it is used

A key word in genetic reports, which classify variants as pathogenic, likely pathogenic, uncertain significance, likely benign or benign. Normally only pathogenic and likely pathogenic variants are used for clinical decisions. In microbiology, 'pathogenic' describes bacteria or viruses that cause disease.

Example sentences

1. The lab classified the variant as likely pathogenic.

2. No pathogenic variants were found in the 50 genes on the panel.

Common collocations

• pathogenic variant
• likely pathogenic
• classified as pathogenic
• pathogenic mutation

Related terms

• variantA difference in a DNA sequence compared with a reference sequence. It is the neutral word used in clinical genetics, whether the change is harmful or harmless.
• genetic testingMedical or research tests that examine a person's DNA, chromosomes or genes to find variants linked to a disease, a health risk or ancestry.
• mutationA permanent change in the DNA sequence. It may have no effect, cause disease or, occasionally, give an advantage.
• annotationAdding biological information to sequence data, for example marking where the genes are in a genome, or giving each variant its predicted effect and population frequency.

More terms: Mutations and Genetic Variation

• point mutation
• SNP
• deletion
• frameshift mutation
• somatic mutation
• germline
• copy number variation