title: Quantification of circulatory fetal DNA in the plasma of pregnant women.
abstract: The analysis of cell-free fetal DNA in the circulation of the pregnant woman plays the pivotal role in noninvasive prenatal research. Here, we describe an improved method for the quantification of male DNA, which is a valuable research tool for the quantification of fetal DNA. The quantification of fetal DNA serves two main purposes. First, the levels may indicate certain pregnancy-related disorders such as preeclampsia even before onset of the disease; thus, the quantification may serve as a marker for early detection. Second, extraction and enrichment strategies of the fetal DNA compartment are important factors in the development and implementation of clinical tests, such as detection of fetal sex, Rhesus D status, point mutations, and aneuploidies. In this context, the quantification of fetal DNA is an important tool for the evaluation of protocols.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Research in Biomedicine, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Bernhard G
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Zimmermann
authors.forename: Deborah G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Maddocks
authors.forename: Neil D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Avent
mesh_terms: D000782:Aneuploidy; D041322:Chromosomes, Human, Y; D004247:DNA / Q000097:blood* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus / Q000378:metabolism*; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D005820:Genetic Testing; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D009154:Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System / Q000235:genetics; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis
chemical_list: D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic; D012204:Rh-Hr Blood-Group System; C026410:Rho(D) antigen; D004247:DNA