title: Hematopoietic progenitor cells as targets for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis: detection of fetal CD34+ cells and assessment of post-delivery persistence in the maternal circulation.
abstract: Culture expansion of fetal cells from the maternal circulation will provide an increased number of cells for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. Hematopoietic CD34+ cells are potential candidates for this application. More information is needed regarding the frequency of these cells and the phenomenon of post-delivery persistence in the maternal circulation. In this study we assessed the number of fetal CD34+ cells in the maternal circulation, the effect of culture expansion on the number of fetal cells and the persistence of fetal CD34+ cells from previous pregnancies. Fetal cells were identified by the presence of Y-chromosome sequences detected by FISH and nested PCR. Fetal CD34+ cells were detected in all samples from women carrying a male fetus. A low number of residual fetal cells from previous pregnancies was detected (1-3 XY cells in 20 ml blood) in less than 1/3 of the samples from both non-pregnant women and those pregnant with a female fetus. Culturing of CD34+ cells resulted in a significant increase in fetal cell numbers. However, the number of fetal cells persisting from previous pregnancies also increased after culture. It is proposed that information derived from CD34+ cells could potentially support data derived from other cell types for more accurate non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Danek Gertner Institute of Human Genetics, Sheba Medical Center, Tel-Hashomer 52621, Israel. eguetta@sheba.health.gov.il
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Guetta
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Simchen
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Barkai
mesh_terms: D018952:Antigens, CD34 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood; D002469:Cell Separation / Q000379:methods; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D041321:Chromosomes, Human, X / Q000235:genetics; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D014157:Transcription Factors
chemical_list: D018952:Antigens, CD34; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D051741:Kruppel-Like Transcription Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors; C054430:ZFY protein, human