Kharkiv Specialized Center of Medical Genetics

Director - Olena Yа. Grechanina

Main types of activity:
- clinic-genetic help to the population of different regions of Ukraine;
- primary prophylaxis of native and inherited pathology;
- prenatal diagnostics;
- training;
- educational work.

The origin of the Center of Clinical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnostics was dated in 1965, when at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology of the medical faculty of the Kharkiv Medical Institute, headed by Professor I. I. Gryshchenko, the operations on correction of native deficiencies of development of genetal organs, have been started to perform. O. Grechanina undertook for this business with enthusiasm. She with the group of doctors revived the clinical genetics in Kharkiv Region, began in 1911 in Kharkiv by S. M. Davydenkov, one of the world founders of clinical genetics. The laboratories of biochemical genetics and cytogenetics were organized; the research of human chromosomes and medical-genetic consultancy of families began.

The laboratory gradually extended the circle of researches in antenatal recognition of native deficiencies of development and enlarged the methods of surgical treatment of anomalies of sexual differentiation.

Finally in 1979 the laboratory became the medical and genetic consultation in the structure of the clinic headed by V. I. Gryshchenko. The first All-Union Conference on antenatal diagnostics of native deficiencies and inherited diseases was conducted. The outstanding geneticists of the country took part in it. Later such scientific meetings became the tradition, which lives till now. The international contacts are extended. The scientists took part in conferences at Varna, Berlin and Prague.

Together with specialists on computer technologies O. Grechanina created the computer program for woman's consultancies in Kharkiv in 1980, which gave possibility not only to form the flow of families with the complicated genetic and obstetric anamnesis to the medical and genetic consultancy but also study the features of pathology in the region, and to help many thousand families.

The Regional Medical and Genetic Center was established in 1984. The number of biochemical researches of patients made 70 thousand items per year that gave possibility to study genetic descriptions of Kharkiv population. The integration of genetics and medicine has begun; the register of native and inherited pathology has been created. O. Grechanina is the author of primitive prophylaxis of native deficiencies of development. These directions of genetic researches are priority in our country and abroad. Its efficiency is too high: almost 93 % defects are warned yet before conception of child.

The screening of babies on phenylketonuria and hypothyroidism has begun in 1986. The first children were born to whom the Center helped to avoid a heavy mental subnormality and today all of them go to the general school, and since 1988 the obligatory consultation at the doctor-geneticist of all children born in the city and region with native and inherited pathology is practiced.

In 1989 the department of medical genetics was opened in the Kharkiv Institute of Doctor Improvement and on its base almost 200 doctors from all regions of Ukraine pass training on medical genetics every year; O. Grechanina heads this department.

In 1990 O. Grechanina defended the doctoral dissertation and the year 1991 was marked by creation of the Ukrainian Association of Specialists of Ultrasonic Diagnostics, Perinatal Medicine and Genetics at the head with President O. Grechanina. For the period of 1994 -1996 the following students of O. Grechanina as O. V. Romadina, O. A. Yakovenko, O. P. Zdybska, R. V. Bogatyryova, I. A. Zhadan and L. V. Molodan defended the dissertations. It became the confirmation that the school of clinical genetics has been already created in Kharkiv; O. Grechanina is the founder and leader of this school.

In 1993 O. Grechanina together with children's surgeons engaged in this integration created the system of continuous granting help to the children with the native deficiencies of development. In accordance with this system the native deficiencies of development are appeared before the birth of child and the geneticists and children's surgeons, which correct vital defects at first hour after birth of child, look after them. The developments of the Center won the world recognition. So, the method of antenatal recognition of defects by the doctors of the Center was acknowledged in 1995 in World Congress in Japan. The works of the Center got the higher estimations in world congresses in Washington, Kyoto, Rotterdam, Zagreb, Rio de Janeiro, Edinburgh, Berlin and Vilnius.

The experience of O. Grechanina spreads wider and is propagandized. In particular, it was taken by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine (offered and introduced in the system of medical and genetic assistance inter-district medical and genetic offices, which help the rural population to get the high-professional medical and genetic aid).

Annually the Medical and Genetic Center headed by O. Grechanina provides consultations to more than 20000 families with suspicion on inherited pathology. Over 10000 pregnant women are prenatal examined here and over 60000 biochemical and 1000 cytogenetics researches are conducted. The laboratory of molecular diagnostics, which conducts diagnostics of mitochondrion diseases and determines haplotypes of Ukrainian population function in the Center. On the base of the Center the Association of Specialists and Parents with Children of Penylketonuria and Hypothyroidism and Mucoviscidosis, Chromosomal Illnesses and Connective Tissue Dysplasia has been established. The Regional Center of Mucoviscidosis and Reference-Laboratory on Penylketonuria has been created.

For conducting examinations the Center has the proper base with modern equipment and advanced methods of researches as molecular-cytogenetics, biochemical, enzyme-linked and cytogenetics systems "Chromovidas", "Cires", "Metasyste" and "Pico Tag" (Waters). Here the wonderful conditions for development of a new genetics have been created; the modern molecular methods of diagnostics have been mastered.

The new system of training of doctors (two year internal-external cycle) has been introduced in the Center for the first time in Ukraine. The department became the main structure in Ukraine, and its branches were opened in Zhytomyr and Sumy. For introduction of the Center experience the Programme "Replication" has been developed in other Ukrainian regions. In 2000 O. Grechanina passed this department to the students, and she began to manage by the created department of medical genetics in the Kharkiv State Medical University.

In 1999 the long-awaited event has been happened and the Kharkiv Regional Department of Health has approved the Center of Clinical Genetics and Prenatal Diagnostics as municipal establishment, putting the beginning of independence of genetics.

O. Grechanina is Chairman of the Regional Union of Medical Genetics, Member of two Scientific Councils of Dissertation Defence, Member of the American Institute "Ultrasound in Medicine", Member of the Presidium of the Kharkiv Separation of the Ukrainian Ecological Academy and its Member, Representative of the National Fund "Ukraine for Children" and Editor-in-Chief of the professional magazine "Ultrasound Prenatal Diagnostics" (VAK edition). Outstanding Scientist O. Grechanina takes part in scientific cooperation researches with the scientists of Philadelphia, Munich and in International congresses (Japan, USA, Holland, Mexico, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Argentina and Lithuania). The Center headed by O. Grechanina also takes part in the international project INTAS on research of genetic variety of Ukrainian population and study of genetics of widespread illnesses.