title: Quantitative abnormalities of fetal trophoblast cells in maternal circulation in preeclampsia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if quantitative abnormalities of circulating fetal trophoblast cells (CFTCs) are associated with preeclampsia.
  
  
  METHODS
  The trophoblast cell-specific antibody, MEM-G/9 (monoclonal antibody to HLA-G), was applied to distinguish the trophoblast cells from the maternal circulation. The trophoblast cells were isolated by density-gradient centrifugation from maternal blood samples of normal pregnant and preeclamptic women, respectively. After preliminary enrichment, the CFTCs were identified by immunocytochemical staining with the MEM-G/9. To prove fetal origin of the HLA-G-positive cells, primer-extension preamplification (PEP) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based on single HLA-G-positive cells were adopted to detect human sex-determining region of the Y-chromosome (SRY) gene.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 6.88 +/- 1.54 and 30.56 +/- 5.16 HLA-G-positive cells in 6 mL maternal blood from the normal pregnant (n = 16) and preeclamptic women (n = 18), respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). The SRY gene from the HLA-G-positive cells was detected in all pregnant women carrying male fetuses. The sensitivity and specificity of PEP and PCR for the SRY gene detection were 100%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is concluded that enhancement of CFTCs numbers is related to preeclampsia, which provides information useful for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Family Planning Research Institute, Center of Reproductive Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Ai-Hua
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Liao
mesh_terms: D001772:Blood Cell Count; D001775:Blood Circulation / Q000276:immunology; D002469:Cell Separation; D000013:Congenital Abnormalities / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange / Q000276:immunology; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis / Q000379:methods; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006680:HLA Antigens; D059951:HLA-G Antigens; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; C490906:SOX1 protein, human; D055748:SOXB1 Transcription Factors