title: Improved detection of fetal cells from maternal blood with polymerase chain reaction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective was to test the reliability of new deoxyribonucleic acid primers that have previously been used very efficiently by this laboratory with amniolysate samples to amplify a 248 bp Y-specific, repeated sequence from maternal blood during pregnancy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Blood samples were obtained from 50 women during weeks 11 and 16 of pregnancy and were analyzed for the presence of the Y chromosome-specific sequences.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Y-specific fragments were identified in 19 of 24 (79.2%) women after one complete amplification. A second amplification of these samples negative for Y-specific fragments revealed three additional samples positive for the Y chromosome-specific fragment. Only two male fetuses remained unidentified. Overall, 91.7% male fetuses and 96% of all fetuses (48/50) in these women were correctly identified.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The primers described in this study provide an additional or alternative tool for the determination, by means of the polymerase chain reaction, of Y chromosome-bearing cells in maternal circulation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biomedical Sciences, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon, GA 31207.
authors.forename: L R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Adkison
authors.forename: R H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Vowell
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Koontz
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D003581:Cytodiagnosis / Q000379:methods; D017931:DNA Primers; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D014998:Y Chromosome
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers