Are placental chorionic capillary nucleated red blood cell counts useful compared to umbilical cord blood tests?
OBJECTIVE
To compare measurement of fetal nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) counts in paired histologic samples of the placenta and umbilical cord bloods.


METHODS
Forty-five randomly selected pregnancies had two determinations of the NRBC count. A sample of umbilical venous blood had a NRBC count measured and sections of the placenta were examined for their villous capillary NRBC counts.


RESULTS
Umbilical venous blood had NRBC/100 white blood cell counts ranging from 0 to 67. Paired evaluation of placental tissue had NRBC counts of 0-5 with 60% being zero compared to 8% zero counts in cord blood. There was no correlation between the paired counts (R(2) = 0.04).


CONCLUSIONS
Umbilical cord blood provides different information on fetal NRBC count than does histologic study of the placenta.
McCarthy
Joan M
JM
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Florida College of Medicine, Tampa, FL 33606, USA. jmccarth@hsc.usf.edu
Gilbert-Barness
Enid
E
Tsibris
John C M
JC
Spellacy
William N
WN
D000328:Adult; D002196:Capillaries; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000166:cytology*; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D010920:Placenta / Q000098:blood supply*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D014471:Umbilical Veins