Size distributions of maternal and fetal DNA in maternal plasma.
BACKGROUND
The discovery of fetal DNA in maternal plasma has opened up an approach for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. Despite the rapid expansion in clinical applications, the molecular characteristics of plasma DNA in pregnant women remain unclear.


METHODS
We investigated the size distribution of plasma DNA in 34 nonpregnant women and 31 pregnant women, using a panel of quantitative PCR assays with different amplicon sizes targeting the leptin gene. We also determined the size distribution of fetal DNA in maternal plasma by targeting the SRY gene.


RESULTS
The median percentages of plasma DNA with size >201 bp were 57% and 14% for pregnant and nonpregnant women, respectively (P <0.001, Mann-Whitney test). The median percentages of fetal-derived DNA with sizes >193 bp and >313 bp were 20% and 0%, respectively, in maternal plasma.


CONCLUSIONS
Plasma DNA molecules are mainly short DNA fragments. The DNA fragments in the plasma of pregnant women are significantly longer than those in the plasma of nonpregnant women, and the maternal-derived DNA molecules are longer than the fetal-derived ones.
Chan
K C Allen
KC
Department of Chemical Pathology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, China.
Zhang
Jun
J
Hui
Angela B Y
AB
Wong
Nathalie
N
Lau
Tze K
TK
Leung
Tse N
TN
Lo
Kwok-Wai
KW
Huang
Dolly W S
DW
Lo
Y M Dennis
YM
D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood* / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers; D010949:Plasma; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values
D004247:DNA