Prenatal diagnosis on fetal cells obtained from maternal peripheral blood:Report of 66 cases

The potential use of fetal cells circulating in maternal blood for a non-in vasive prenatal diagnosis has been widely described. Several authors have d eveloped different methods for the enrichment of fetal cells from maternal peripheral blood. The aim of this study was to make a practical valuation o f this new prenatal diagnosis technique, using those methods described as e fficient and easy to carry out in a prenatal diagnosis unit. These methods consist of the double-density gradient and the positive selection by magnet ic activated cell sorting (MACS) of the fetal erythroblasts, and the poster ior study of the cells applying the FISH interphasic technique. Once the te chnique was ready, we obtained results from the study of 66 venous blood sa mples from women coming for prenatal diagnosis. Using a specific staining f or fetal haemoglobin, fetal cells were identified in 63 cases. Fetal sex wa s well determined in 56 cases, 23 females and 33 males: in 7 cases the sex determination failed. All the aneuploidies found in a previous prenatal dia gnosis were confirmed. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.