title: Amniotic fluid cell culture II. Evaluation of a red blood cell lysis procedure for culture of cells from blood-contaminated amniotic fluid.
abstract: Second trimester amniotic fluid samples obtained transabdominally for genetic analysis not infrequently are contaminated with blood. There has been disagreement as to whether blood contamination interferes with the efficiency of culture of amniotic fluid cells for genetic diagnosis. A procedure using ammonium chloride to lyse contaminating red blood cells has been recommended to increase culture success. In this report we document that cultures derived from blood-contaminated amniotic fluids form fewer cell colonies than cultures from clear amniotic fluids. We also show that a recommended procedure using ammonium chloride to lyse red blood cells is ineffectual in improving the efficiency of cell culture, and may be detrimental to successful culturing of cells from bloody amniotic fluids. A hypothesis concerning the mechanism of interference with culture of amniotic fluid cells by contaminating blood is presented and a means of preventing this complication is suggested.
mesh_terms: D000643:Ammonium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000649:Amniocentesis; D000653:Amniotic Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006461:Hemolysis / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy; D011262:Pregnancy Trimester, Second
chemical_list: D000643:Ammonium Chloride