DEVELOPMENT OF A MODEL SYSTEM TO COMPARE CELL-SEPARATION METHODS FOR THE ISOLATION OF FETAL CELLS FROM MATERNAL BLOOD

Three major methods have been described for the isolation of fetal cel ls from maternal blood: fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FAGS), im munomagnetic beads, and magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS). To dat e, no study has directly compared fetal cell recovery using each of th ese methods. Here we describe our system using a 'model' male fetal ce ll mixed into female peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Fetal cell yi elds and purities were assayed by a quantitative polymerase chain reac tion (qPCR) using chromosomes Y- and 7-specific sequences. Fetal cell recovery was investigated by selection of CD71(+) cells or depletion o f CD45(+) cells. Our data demonstrated variation in fetal cell recover y for all methods tested, although CD71(+) selection by FAGS gave the best and most consistent results.