Prenatal Determination of Fetal RhD status from Transcervical Cells[TCCs] and peripheral Blood of RhD-Negative Mothers

Baik, E J; Shin, J C; Chung, D Y; Lee, Y; Rho, S H; Lee, G SR; Kim, S J; Lee, C K; Kim, S P

Abstract

OBJECTIVE
We studied to compare usefulness of transcervical cells[TCCs] and peripheral blood of RhD-negative mother for prenatal determination of fetal RhD status.
METHODS
Peripheral blood and TCC samples obtained from fifteen RhD-negative women at 7-34 weeks in gestation. They were tested for fetal RhD status using heminested PCR with primers specific for the genes coding for RhD and RhCc/Ee. After the first amplification of 30 cycles using primers RD-A3/RD-A2[291bp in size], the second amplification of various cycles was performed using primers RD-A5/RD-A2[262bp in size]. Parental and fetal RhD status was confirmed by serologic and/or PCR methods.
RESULTS
All paternal and fetal blood type were RhD positive. After the first amplification, fetal RhD status could be determined in five of 15 TCC samples and in two of 15 peripheral blood samples, After the second amplification of 10, 15, 20 and 25 cyles, fetal RhD status could be determined in 12, 13, 15 and 15 of 15 TCC samples and in 2, 13, 14 and 15 of 15 peripheral blood samples, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Although TCC samples could be determined more fetal RhD status than peripheral blood samples in the first amplification and the second amplification of 10 cycles, this study suggested that both methods are useful for prenatal determination of fetal RhD status from RhD-negative pregnant women. Furthermore, both of these methods are expectied to becom the preferred prenatal diagnosis at the DNA level while also having applications for other genetic disorders.