Investigation of maternal blood enriched for fetal cells: Role in screening and diagnosis of fetal trisomies

Prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal abnormalities relies on assessment of risk followed by invasive testing in the group with highest risk. Assessment of risk by a combination of maternal age and fetal nuchal translucency and invasive testing in the 5% of the population with the highest risk would identify about 80% of trisomy 21 pregnancies. Preliminary reports suggest that chromosomal abnormalities can also be diagnosed by fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) in maternal blood enriched for fetal cells. This study examines the potential role of this method on the prenatal diagnosis of fetal trisomies. Maternal blood was obtained before invasive testing in 230 pregnancies at 10–14 weeks of gestation. After enrichment for fetal cells, by triple density centrifugation and anti-CD71 magnetic cell sorting, FISH was performed and the proportion of cells with positive signals in the chromosomally normal and abnormal groups was determined. Fetal karyotype was normal in 150 cases and abnormal in 80 cases, including 36 with trisomy 21. Using a 21 chromosome-specific probe, three-signal nuclei were present in at least 5% of the enriched cells from 61% of the trisomy 21 pregnancies and in none of the normal pregnancies. For a cut-off of 3% of three-signal nuclei the sensitivity for trisomy 21 was 97% for a false positive rate of 13%. Similar values were obtained in trisomies 18 and 13 using the appropriate chromosome-specific probe. Examination of fetal cells from maternal blood may provide a noninvasive prenatal diagnostic test for trisomy 21 with the potential of identifying about 60% of affected pregnancies. Alternatively, this technique can be combined with maternal age and fetal nuchal translucency as a method of selecting the high-risk group for invasive testing. Potentially, 80% of trisomy 21 pregnancies could be identified after invasive testing in less than 1% of the pregnant population. Am. J. Med. Genet. 85:66–75, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

胎儿颈部半透明膜厚度测定筛查胎儿染色体异常

目的探讨孕早期筛查胎儿染色体异常的方案.方法 2241例孕龄在11～14w单胎妊娠的孕妇接受筛查.采用腹式或阴式B型超声波测量胎儿颈部半透明膜(NT)厚度;根据所测NT数据结合孕妇年龄由计算机算出胎儿染色体异常风险率.对所筛查出的高风险胎儿则进一步进行产前诊断(羊水细胞染色体核型分析).结果共筛查出26例染色体异常,包括Down综合征16例(61.54%)、性染色体数目异常6例(23.08%)、染色体结构异常4例(15.38%).所有接受筛查的孕妇中风险大于1/250者344例(15.35%);染色体异常检出率为80.77%,假阳性率为6.50%;21三体检出率为87.50%.结论孕早期NT 孕妇年龄二联筛查方案对孕早期临床筛查胎儿染色体异常有较好的实用价值.     

Performance of prenatal screening by non-invasive cell-free fetal DNA testing for women with various indicationsCSCD

Objective: To assess the performance of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) based on massive parallel sequencing. Methods: A total of 10 275 maternal blood samples were collected. Fetal chromosomal aneuploides were subjected to low coverage whole genome sequencing. Patients with high risks received further prenatal diagnosis. The outcome of all patients were followed up. Results: High-throughput sequencing detected 72 pregnancies with fetal autosomal chromosomal aneuploidy, including 57 cases of trisomy 21, 14 cases of trisomy 18, and 1 case of trisomy 13. The positive predictive value for trisomies 21 and 18 were 98.25% and 91.67%, respectively. Comparing its performance in intermediate or high risk pregnancies, advanced maternal age pregnancies and volunteering to test pregnancies, the positive predictive value were 100%, 95%, 90% and 50%, respectively. The follow up result was only 1 case of 21 trisomy false negative with high risk. For the 56 cases of trisomy 21, the high risk group accounted for 55%, advanced maternal age accounted for 29%, the intermediate risk referred to 14%, the volunteering to test group accounted for 2%. Conclusion: The performance of NIPT for trisomies 21, 18 and 13 was satisfactory. The method can be used for women with advanced gestational age. NIPT has offered an ideal secondary screening method for those with an intermediate or high risk, and can reduce the rate of birth defects. © 2018 West China University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved.     

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal trisomy 21 from maternal peripheral blood

This study was undertaken to establish a noninvasive prenatal genetic diagnostic method for trisomy 21 using the fetal nRBCs that is rarely present in maternal circulation. Peripheral venous blood samples were collected from 30 women with an advanced maternal age, abnormal triple marker test results, or abnormal ultrasound findings such as an increased nuchal translucency. The blood samples were treated with heparin. The triple density gradient centrifugation, and MACS using CD45 and CD71 were used to isolate the fetal cells. FISH analysis using probe 21 was performed with GPA-immunostaining. The study population consisted of 30 patients from 13 to 25 weeks of gestation, and nRBCs were separated in all cases. In GPA-immuno FISH analysis using probe 21, 3 cases of trisomy 21 were diagnosed and these results were confirmed by the amniocentesis. In conclusion, a prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 21 through GPA- immuno fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis using separated fetal nRBCs is a useful, innovative, accurate, rapid and non-invasive diagnostic method.     

Increased nuchal translucency in trisomy 13 fetuses at 10-14 weeks of gestation.

In a multicenter screening study for trisomy 21 involving ultrasonographic measurement of fetal nuchal translucency thickness (NT) at 10-14 weeks of gestation, 100,311 singleton pregnancies with a live fetus were examined. There were 46 cases of trisomy 13, and in 33 (72%) of these, the NT was above the 95th centile. The estimated risk for trisomy 21, based on maternal age-related risk for this chromosomal abnormality and fetal NT, was above 1 in 300 in 37 (80.1%) of the trisomy 13 fetuses. The fetal crown-rump length was significantly reduced, but the fetal heart rate was increased, being above the 95th centile in 64% of cases. Additionally, 24% of trisomy 13 fetuses had holoprosencephaly and 10% had exomphalos. This study has demonstrated that at 10-14 weeks of gestation, about 80% of fetuses with trisomy 13 can be identified in a screening program for trisomy 21, based on a combination of maternal age and fetal NT.     

Increased nuchal translucency in trisomy 13 fetuses at 10–14 weeks of gestation

In a multicenter screening study for trisomy 21 involving ultrasonographic measurement of fetal nuchal translucency thickness (NT) at 10–14 weeks of gestation, 100,311 singleton pregnancies with a live fetus were examined. There were 46 cases of trisomy 13, and in 33 (72%) of these, the NT was above the 95th centile. The estimated risk for trisomy 21, based on maternal age-related risk for this chromosomal abnormality and fetal NT, was above 1 in 300 in 37 (80.1%) of the trisomy 13 fetuses. The fetal crown-rump length was significantly reduced, but the fetal heart rate was increased, being above the 95th centile in 64% of cases. Additionally, 24% of trisomy 13 fetuses had holoprosencephaly and 10% had exomphalos. This study has demonstrated that at 10–14 weeks of gestation, about 80% of fetuses with trisomy 13 can be identified in a screening program for trisomy 21, based on a combination of maternal age and fetal NT. Am. J. Med. Genet. 86:205–207, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Isolating fetal cells in the maternal circulation

Fetal cells exist in maternal blood and can be utilized forprenatal genetic diagnosis. The use of polymerase chain reaction(PCR) technology on maternal blood has enabled the detectionof fetal sex, Mendelian disorders (e.g. (rß-globinmutations), HLA polymorphisms and fetal Rhesus (D) blood type.Enrichment for erythro-blasts and trophoblasts by various densitygradient and flow sorting techniques followed by fluorescencein-situ hybridization (FISH) with chromosome-specific DNA probeshas allowed detection of trisomy 21, trisomy 18, Klinefeltersyndrome (47,XXY) and 47,XYY. The fetal cell type that has generatedthe most success is the nucleated erythrocyte; however, trophoblasts,lymphocytes and granulocytes are also considered to be presentin maternal blood. Fetal cells circulate in maternal blood duringthe first and second trimesters, with frequency increasing asgestation advances. Emphasis is thus now directed toward determiningthe most practical and efficacious manner for this techniqueto be applied to prenatal genetic diagnosis. A large scale collaborationof clinical evaluations is underway in the USA, upon completionof which assessment can be made of whether this technology canserve as an alternative to conventional invasive and non-invasivemethods of prenatal cytogenetic diagnosis.     

Detection of chromosomal aneuploidies in fetal cells isolated from maternal blood using single-chromosome dual-probe FISH analysis

Detection of chromosomal aneuploidies using fetal cells isolated from maternal blood, for prenatal non-invasive genetic investigation, has been a long-sought goal of clinical genetics to replace amniocentesis and chorionic villous sampling to avoid any risk to the fetus. The purpose of this study was to develop a sensitive and specific new assay for diagnosing aneuploidy with circulating fetal cells isolated from maternal blood as previously reported using two novel approaches: (i) simultaneous immunocytochemistry (ICC) evaluation using a monoclonal antibody for i-antigen, followed by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH); (ii) dual-probe FISH analysis of interphase nuclei using two differently labeled probes, specific for different loci of chromosomes 21 and 18; in addition, short tandem repeats (STR) analysis on single cells isolated by micromanipulation was applied to confirm the presence of fetal cells in the cell sample enriched from maternal blood. Blood samples were obtained from women carrying trisomic fetuses, and from non-pregnant women and men as controls. Using ICC-FISH approach, a large heterogeneity in immunostaining pattern was observed, which is a source of very subjective signal interpretation. Differently, dual-probe FISH analysis provided for a correct diagnosis of all pregnancies: the mean percentage of trisomic cells was 0.5% (range, 0.36-0.76%), while the mean percentage of trisomic cells in the control group (normal pregnancies or non-pregnant women) was ≤0.20%. The application of the dual-probe FISH protocol on fetal cells isolated from maternal blood enables accurate molecular detection of fetal aneuploidy, thus providing a foundation for development of non-invasive prenatal diagnostic testing.     

Nuchal translucency audit: low uptake of invasive testing in screen positive cases

The association between first trimester increased nuchal translucency (NT) and aneuploidies has been well established. To date, screening in this country has been carried out on an 'ad hoc' basis, as there is no national screening programme. It occurs mainly on maternal request indicated by age or a past history of a trisomy. As an isolated test we audited 316 patients attending the NMH for nuchal translucency screening to assess the accuracy of the test. Over two years 316 patients were seen and counselled. Forty-four cases (13%) were screen positive (risk of Trisomy 21 > 1 in 300). One third (15 cases) of this group went on to have invasive testing, one third of which (5 cases) were diagnosed with a trisomy and two thirds (10 cases) had normal fetuses. The remaining twenty-nine women with a high-risk ratio declined invasive testing with risk ratios that ranged from 1 in 250 to 296. In those who were screen negative there were no cases of trisomies. In conclusion, NT screening in this review had a sensitivity of 100%. In spite of being screen positive two thirds of patients declined invasive testing.     

Cell-free fetal DNA and intact fetal cells in maternal blood circulation: implications for first and second trimester non-invasive prenatal diagnosis

Both intact fetal cells as well as cell-free fetal DNA are present in the maternal circulation and can be recovered for non-invasive prenatal genetic diagnosis. Although methods for enrichment and isolation of rare intact fetal cells have been challenging, diagnosis of fetal chromosomal aneuploidy including trisomy 21 in first- and second-trimester pregnancies has been achieved with a 50-75% detection rate. Similarly, cell-free fetal DNA can be reliably recovered from maternal plasma and assessed by quantitative PCR to detect fetal trisomy 21 and paternally derived single gene mutations. Real-time PCR assays are robust in detecting low-level fetal DNA concentrations, with sensitivity of approximately 95-100% and specificity near 100%. Comparing intact fetal cell versus cell-free fetal DNA methods for non-invasive prenatal screening for fetal chromosomal aneuploidy reveals that the latter is at least four times more sensitive. These preliminary results do not support a relationship between frequency of intact fetal cells and concentration of cell-free fetal DNA. The above results imply that the concentration of fetal DNA in maternal plasma may not be dependent on circulating intact fetal cells but rather be a product of growth and cellular turnover during embryonic or fetal development.     

Abnormalities of the heart and great arteries in first trimester chromosomally abnormal fetuses

Pathological examination of the heart and great arteries was performed in 112 chromosomally abnormal fetuses after surgical termination of pregnancy at 11–16 weeks of gestation. The chromosomal abnormalities were diagnosed by chorion villus sampling which was carried out because screening of the pregnancies by a combination of maternal age and fetal nuchal translucency thickness at 10–14 weeks of gestation identified them as being at increased risk. The group consisted of 60 fetuses with trisomy 21, 29 with trisomy 18, 17 with trisomy 13 and 6 with Ullrich-Turner syndrome. The most common cardiac lesion seen in trisomy 21 fetuses was an atrioventricular or ventricular septal defect. Trisomy 18 was associated with ventricular septal defects and/or polyvalvular abnormalities. In trisomy 13, there were atrioventricular or ventricular septal defects, valvular abnormalities, and either narrowing of the isthmus or truncus arteriosus. Ullrich-Turner syndrome was associated with severe narrowing of the whole aortic arch. In all four groups of chromosomally abnormal fetuses, the aortic isthmus was significantly narrower than in normal fetuses and the degree of narrowing was significantly greater in fetuses with high nuchal translucency thickness. It is postulated that narrowing of the aortic isthmus may be the basis of increased nuchal translucency thickness in all four chromosomal abnormalities. Am. J. Med. Genet. 69:207–216, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

A QF-PCR system to detect chromosome 13 aneuploidy from as few as ten cells

Complete and partial trisomies of chromosome 13 are characterized by abnormal fetal development and birth defects. Despite the severe abnormalities associated with trisomy 13, some couples elect not to undergo invasive prenatal diagnosis (PND) due to the 0.5%-1.0% risk of pregnancy loss. As a result, current studies are focusing on refining non-invasive prenatal diagnostic techniques, such as screening fetal cells isolated from maternal blood or cervical smears. As these techniques only provide a limited number of cells for analysis, any progress in this field depends on the development of a highly sensitive genetic screening strategy. We have developed a quantitative fluorescent PCR (QF-PCR) system capable of detecting chromosome 13 aneuploidy from as few as 10 cells. The system was further validated by screening 13 amniocyte samples, three of which had been diagnosed by FISH as having chromosomal abnormalities involving chromosome 13. In all cases, the QF-PCR results were concordant with those obtained using FISH. The high reliability (99%) and accuracy (96%) of the QF-PCR system at the 10 cell level makes this technique ideal for use in non-invasive PND.     

无创产前检测对于胎儿染色体拷贝数变异的检测价值

目的:探讨无创产前检测(non-invasive prenatal testing,NIPT)对于胎儿染色体拷贝数变异(copy number variations, CNVs)的检测价值。方法:收集18 661例接受NIPT检测的孕妇的临床资料,为提示胎儿携带CNVs的孕妇提供羊水染色体核型或/及染色体微阵列分析,并...     

妊娠中晚期羊水细胞胎儿染色体异常核型分析

目的:分析妊娠中、晚期胎儿羊水染色体核型,了解该时期异常核型出现的频率类型及与诊断指征的关系。方法:357例有产前诊断指征的孕妇,在妊娠13-17行羊膜腔穿刺术,取羊水细胞培养,分析胎儿染色体核型。结果:羊水细胞培养成功率91.6%,发现异常核型21例(6.4%),其中妊娠中期检出异常5.7%(16/282);晚期异常11.1%(5/45),P>0.05。染色体异常携带者和各种三体为主要的异常核型,分别占52.4%(11/21)和33.3%(7/21)。高龄孕妇异常检出率为10.2%(5/49),非高龄组为5.8%(16/278),P>0.05。平衡易位组为52.4%,(11/21);胎儿宫内发育迟缓(IUGR)16.7%(1/6)血清学筛查风险值增高为5.9%(1/17)。结论:在有产前诊断为指征的孕妇,胎儿染色体异率为6.4%,染色体异常携带者和各种三体为主要的异常,是高龄以及IUGR最常见的异常。羊水细胞培养对于中、晚期妊娠的高风险孕妇行产前诊断是安全、可靠、诊断方法之一。     

Routine prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy by FISH studies in high‐risk pregnancies

This study is a prospective clinical trial with fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) as a “routine” test for prenatal detection of the most common aneuploidies in high‐risk pregnancies. Since April 1996, FISH studies with multicolor, commercially available, specific probes for chromosomes 13, 18, 21, X, and Y have been routinely performed in our cytogenetic laboratory on uncultured chorionic villous samplings (CVS), amniotic fluid samples, or fetal blood obtained by cordocentesis from patients with major or minor fetal anomalies detected by ultrasonography. Among the 4,193 prenatal samples analyzed between April 1996 and June 1998, routine FISH studies were ordered by the referring physicians on 301 (7.2%) cases. Aneuploidies were detected in 32 (10.6%) samples. Fourteen trisomy‐21, 10 trisomy‐18, 3 trisomy‐13, 4 monosomies of X, and 1 case of triploidy were diagnosed by FISH. All 1,505 hybridizations were informative, and all 301 results were available and reported to the referring physicians in 24–48 hr. All relevant FISH results were confirmed by subsequent cytogenetic analysis. In 10 (3.8%) cases with normal FISH results, the final cytogenetic analysis revealed abnormal chromosomal rearrangements that could not be detected by the routine FISH studies. We conclude that rapid FISH analysis of interphase, uncultured fetal cells is an accurate and very sensitive method for routine prenatal diagnosis of the most common aneuploidies in high‐risk pregnancies. Am. J. Med. Genet. 90:233–238, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Noninvasive prenatal testing using a novel analysis pipeline to screen for all autosomal fetal aneuploidies improves pregnancy management

Noninvasive prenatal testing by massive parallel sequencing of maternal plasma DNA has rapidly been adopted as a mainstream method for detection of fetal trisomy 21, 18 and 13. Despite the relative high accuracy of current NIPT testing, a substantial number of false-positive and false-negative test results remain. Here, we present an analysis pipeline, which addresses some of the technical as well as the biologically derived causes of error. Most importantly, it differentiates high z-scores due to fetal trisomies from those due to local maternal CNVs causing false positives. This pipeline was retrospectively validated for trisomy 18 and 21 detection on 296 samples demonstrating a sensitivity and specificity of 100%, and applied prospectively to 1350 pregnant women in the clinical diagnostic setting with a result reported in 99.9% of cases. In addition, values indicative for trisomy were observed two times for chromosome 7 and once each for chromosomes 15 and 16, and once for a segmental trisomy 18. Two of the trisomies were confirmed to be mosaic, one of which contained a uniparental disomy cell line. As placental trisomies pose a risk for low-grade fetal mosaicism as well as uniparental disomy, genome-wide noninvasive aneuploidy detection is improving prenatal management.     

Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal aneuploidies by isolation and analysis of fetal cells from maternal blood.

The isolation and analysis of nucleated fetal cells (NFCs) from maternal blood may represent a new approach to noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. Although promising, these techniques require highly accurate separation of NFCs from nucleated cells of maternal origin; the two major problems limiting these techniques are the relative rarity of fetal cells in maternal blood and the need to establish their fetal origin. We now report a novel procedure that has allowed accurate separation of NFCs from maternal cells. The technique reported involves direct micromanipulator isolation of histochemically identified hemoglobin F-positive nucleated cells to obtain fetal nucleated red blood cells (FNRBCs) of high yield and purity. Using this technique, followed by cell-by-cell multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of purified FNRBCs, we were able to detect some of the most common human aneuploidies (including Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, and trisomy 13) in 33 pregnant women referred for amniocentesis. The procedure used, which can be completed in <72 hrs, produced complete concordance with the results of amniocentesis. We also confirm findings of prior studies suggesting that the number of FNRBCs in maternal circulation is remarkably higher in abnormal pregnancies than in normal pregnancies, especially in women carrying a fetus with trisomy 21.     

2473例双胎妊娠的无创产前检测结果分析

目的:分析探讨无创产前检测(non-invasive prenatal testing,NIPT)对于双胎妊娠胎儿非整倍体的检测价值。方法:选取2016年1月至2019年12月在本中心接受NIPT检测的2473例双胎孕妇,利用高通量测序和生物信息学分析测算胎儿染色体非整倍体的风险率,为高风险孕妇提供羊膜腔或绒毛穿刺,并...     

Noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of chromosomal aneuploidies by isolation and analysis of fetal cells from maternal blood

The isolation and analysis of nucleated fetal cells (NFCs) from maternal blood may represent a new approach to noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. Although promising, these techniques require highly accurate separation of NFCs from nucleated cells of maternal origin; the two major problems limiting these techniques are the relative rarity of fetal cells in maternal blood and the need to establish their fetal origin. We now report a novel procedure that has allowed accurate separation of NFCs from maternal cells. The technique reported involves direct micromanipulator isolation of histochemically identified hemoglobin F‐positive nucleated cells to obtain fetal nucleated red blood cells (FNRBCs) of high yield and purity. Using this technique, followed by cell‐by‐cell multicolor fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analysis of purified FNRBCs, we were able to detect some of the most common human aneuploidies (including Down syndrome, Klinefelter syndrome, and trisomy 13) in 33 pregnant women referred for amniocentesis. The procedure used, which can be completed in <72 hrs, produced complete concordance with the results of amniocentesis. We also confirm findings of prior studies suggesting that the number of FNRBCs in maternal circulation is remarkably higher in abnormal pregnancies than in normal pregnancies, especially in women carrying a fetus with trisomy 21. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Prenatal reflex DNA screening for trisomies 21, 18, and 13

PurposeThe purpose of the study was to determine the screening performance of prenatal reflex DNA screening for trisomies 21 (T21), 18 (T18), and 13 (T13) as part of a routine service at five hospitals.MethodsWomen who accepted screening had a first-trimester combined test (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A, free β-human chorionic gonadotropin, nuchal translucency interpreted with maternal age). Those with a risk of having an affected pregnancy ≥1 in 800 were reflexed to a DNA sequencing test using stored plasma from the original blood sample, thereby avoiding the need to recall them.ResultsOf 22,812 women screened (including 106 with affected pregnancies), 2,480 (10.9%) were reflexed to DNA testing; 101/106 were detected (69/73 T21, 24/25 T18, and 8/8 T13), a 95% detection rate (95% confidence interval 89–98%) with four false positives (0.02%, 95% confidence interval 0.00–0.05%). The odds of being affected given a positive result were 25:1. Of the 105 screen-positive pregnancies, 91 (87%) had an invasive diagnostic test. Reflex DNA screening avoided up to 530 invasive diagnostic tests compared with using the combined test.ConclusionReflex DNA screening was successfully implemented in routine care, achieving a high detection rate, low false-positive rate, and, consequently, greater safety with fewer invasive diagnostic tests than other methods of screening.