Fetal cells in maternal blood. An update from Basel.
OBJECTIVE
The efficiency of two protocols for the enrichment of fetal cells from the blood of pregnant women was compared: a triple density gradient followed by twin magnetic separations (method A) versus a single density gradient and single magnetic separation (method B).


METHODS
Blood samples were obtained from women prior to undergoing an invasive procedure. The processed samples, 87 by method A and 332 by method B, were examined for the presence of male cells by fluorescence in situ hybridisation.


RESULTS
The simpler protocol was found to be superior. The most critical component, however, is the ability of the reader to correctly evaluate the sample, where we observed large variations, with reader B attaining a sensitivity of 82.61% with a corresponding specificity of 86.96%.


CONCLUSIONS
A simpler enrichment protocol can be used from smaller blood samples to attain detection efficiencies which are similar to or superior to current noninvasive methods.
Hahn
S
S
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Basel, Switzerland. shahn@uhbs.ch
Kiefer
V
V
Brombacher
V
V
Troeger
C
C
Holzgreve
W
W
D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods*; D004900:Erythroblasts / Q000166:cytology; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014960:X Chromosome; D014998:Y Chromosome