is more sensitive but requires two steps [two rounds of amplification (PCR LDR) are needed]. The costs for setup are larger (PCR primers and three labeled oligonucleotides are needed per SNP) with respect to PCR/RFLP and allele-specific PCR but are similar for the TaqMan assay. The main advantage consists in the inherent multiplexing capability that can increase throughput, which decreases cost...

Inflammation is known to play a key role in preterm and term parturition. Cell-free fetal DNA (cff-DNA) is present in the maternal circulation and increases with gestational age and some pregnancy complications (e.g. preterm birth, preeclampsia). Microbial DNA and adult cell-free DNA can be pro-inflammatory through DNA-sensing mechanisms such as Toll-like receptor 9 and the Stimulator of Interf...

Prediction of fetal DNA allows diagnosing known/passed mutations before child’s birth. Public health significance of such early testing is that it can reassure parents who have negative results and offers timely information for those with abnormal results. My dissertation work presents a new approach of reconstructing fetal DNA from maternal plasma. The method works because plasma from pregnant...

Restrictive patenting and licensing for cell-free fetal DNA testing has serious consequences for technology advances and benefits to public health.

in plasma and showed that filterable GAPDH mRNA species are present, and therefore likely to be particle bound, whereas the majority of ␤-globin DNA is not filterable and thus is not particle bound. Our study analyzed cell-free nucleic acids in amniotic fluid for the presence of particle-associated mRNA species , and like Ng et al. (7), we found the greatest decrease in GAPDH mRNA after filtrat...

OBJECTIVE It was the aim of this study to examine the possible effects of maternal and fetal characteristics on the fetal fraction in maternal plasma cell-free DNA (cfDNA) at 11-13 weeks' gestation. METHODS In a nested case-control study, cfDNA was extracted from maternal plasma obtained before chorionic villous sampling from 300 euploid, 50 trisomy 21 and 50 trisomy 18 pregnancies at 11-13 w...

Analysis of cell-free DNA (cfDNA) in the blood has shown promise for monitoring a variety biological processes. Plasma cfDNA is mixture comprising molecules released from various bodily tissues, mediated by characteristic fragmentations occurring during cell death. Fragmentation non-random and contains tissue-of-origin information, which been demonstrated circulating fetal, tumoral, transplante...

BACKGROUND The detection of circulating nucleic acids has long been explored for the non-invasive diagnosis of a variety of clinical conditions. In earlier studies, detection of circulating DNA has been investigated for the detection of various forms of cancer. Metastasis and recurrence in certain cancer types have been associated with the presence of high levels of tumor-derived DNA in the cir...