title: Intact fetal cells in maternal plasma: are they really there?
abstract: Rare fetal cells can be recovered from maternal blood, which suggests that non-invasive prenatal diagnosis is possible. However, recovery and analysis of fetal cells from blood is complex, and sensitivity is low because of the rarity of these cells in the maternal circulation. An alternative strategy, which suggested that intact fetal cells can be found in maternal plasma by use of simple enrichment methods, has been reported. We aimed to replicate this technique. However, five independent laboratories were unable to identify any intact male cells from the plasma of 38 women known to be carrying male fetuses. Although apoptotic intact fetal cells could contribute to the detection of fetal DNA in maternal plasma, we believe that recovery of these cells is difficult and not clinically practical.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Baylor College of Medicine, 6550 Fannin Street Suite 885, Houston, TX 77030, USA. bischoff@bcm.tmc.edu
authors.forename: Farideh Z
authors.initials: FZ
authors.lastname: Bischoff
authors.forename: Sinuhe
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.forename: Kirby L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Joe Leigh
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Diana W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Bianchi
authors.forename: Dorothy E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: William D
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Klinger
authors.forename: Sherman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Elias
authors.forename: Laird G
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Jackson
authors.forename: Mark I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Evans
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Holzgreve
authors.forename: Felix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: de la Cruz
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*