Yl. Zheng et al., Fetal cell identifiers: Results of microscope slide-based immunocytochemical studies as a function of gestational age and abnormality, AM J OBST G, 180(5), 1999, pp. 1234-1239
OBJECTIVE: We evaluated monoclonal antibodies to 3 cell surface and 3 intra
cellular antigens for their relative usefulness as markers to identify feta
l cells in maternal blood.
STUDY DESIGN: With indirect immunocytochemical labeling techniques, antigen
expression was studied in 52 fetal blood samples as a function of gestatio
nal age, fetal karyotype, the presence of multiple anomalies detectable on
ultrasonography, and anemia.
RESULTS: A decline in the expression of these antigens as gestational age a
dvanced was demonstrated. Samples from karyotypicaily abnormal fetuses, fet
uses with multiple anomalies, and anemic fetuses showed an antigenic distri
bution that was immature for gestational age. In normal fetuses zeta globin
and epsilon globin expression decreased after 12 to 14 weeks, potentially
limiting the utility of these proteins as fetal cell markers in the isolati
on of fetal cells from maternal blood.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate a fetal developmental he
matologic profile that varies with gestational age and also with pathologic
condition. Antibodies to the gamma chain of fetal hemoglobin and the trans
ferrin receptor (CD71) are the most useful fetal cell-identifying reagents.
(Am J Obstet Gynecol 1999;180:1234-9.).