title: Detection of 'rare event' fetal erythroblasts in maternal blood using automated microscopy.
abstract: This paper describes the use of automated microscopy to detect fetal erythroblasts in maternal blood. The technology is based on the following approach: (1) the use of centrifugal cytology for the preparation of monolayers; (2) simultaneous staining of fetal hemoglobin (immunoalkaline phosphatase) and chromosome sequences (FISH); (3) multi-mode microscopy to detect rare events; (4) visual evaluation of image memories containing detected objects. Model systems show that fetal cells in frequencies as low as 1 in a million cells can be detected easily (manually or by automated microscopy). Algorithms for automated cell selection were developed for a test set of 6 patients. Optimization of hardware and software routines will make analysis of several million cells in approximately 1 h feasible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cytochemistry and Cytometry, University of Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Tanke
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Oosterwijk
authors.forename: W E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Mesker
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ouwerkerk van-Velzen
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Knepflé
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Wiesmeyer
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: van Ommen
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Kanhai
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vrolijk
mesh_terms: D001322:Autoanalysis; D002452:Cell Count; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D004900:Erythroblasts / Q000166:cytology*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D008853:Microscopy / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy