[Fetal CD34+ cells isolated from maternal blood and cytogenetics array as potential tools in screening, non-invasive prenatal diagnosis--preliminary research].

Current prenatal diagnosis is dependent mainly on invasive methods and it correlates with risk of fetal loss. It is clear that there is necessity to devise new non-invasive prenatal test. During the pregnancy fetal cells pass into the maternal circulation which results in a physiological micro-chimerism. Investigation of this phenomenon creates opportunity to elaborate new tool of prenatal diagnosis. The aim of the study is to evolve novel method of fetal cells isolation from maternal blood, their analyses and assessment of potential cytogenetics arrays application for diagnosis of fetal genetic disorders or obstetric complications. Experimental material contained 22 samples of peripheral blood from pregnant women undergoing an amniocentesis. Our protocol was based on separation and culture of CD34+ hematopoietic cells. To estimate the origin of cells we isolated single colonies and examined hemoglobin genes expression profiles by Real-time PCR assays using specific probes for Hbbeta ang Hbgamma. We demonstrated that Hbbeta/Hbgamma expression ratio was lower in fetal origin cells than in adult ones. We successfully used the native characteristics of fetal CD34+ cells such as strong proliferating potential and hemoglobin expression profile. Expansion of CD34+ cells reduced volume of maternal blood required to run the test.