OBJECTIVE To explore the clinical value of prenatal screening for fetal-free DNA in maternal blood. METHODS A total of 10,275 maternal blood samples were collected from October 2012 to May 2016 at the prenatal diagnosis center of Changzhou Woman and Children Health Hospital. RESULTS Among 10,275 pregnant women accepted noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT), 9 cases could not get the results a...

As the classical first trimester Down syndrome screening (FTS, combination test) has a false-negative rate of 20-25% and > 95% of the abnormal FTS results are false-positive, we evaluated the new Non-Invasive Prenatal Test (NIPT) in Belgium and the Netherlands. The study population consisted of 3000 consecutive pregnancies in Belgium and the Netherlands in which NIPT was performed using the Har...

OBJECTIVE Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for trisomies 13, 18 and 21 is used worldwide. Laboratory reports should provide clear, concise results with test limitations indicated, yet no national or local guidelines are currently available. Here, we aim to present minimum best practice guidelines. METHODS All laboratories registered in the three European quality assurance schemes for mole...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate preferences and decision-making among high-risk pregnant women offered a choice between Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), invasive testing or no further testing. METHODS Nationwide implementation study (TRIDENT) offering NIPT as contingent screening test for women at increased risk for fetal aneuploidy based on first-trimester combined testing (>1:200) or medical his...

We report on the oxidation and reduction behavior of colloidally stabilized Ni nanoparticles Pt@NiPt core–shell with a platinum content 4%. Thin films both nanoparticle systems were deposited yttria-stabilized zirconia substrates by spin-coating. Oxidation–reduction cycles used to remove oxides organics obtain metallic particles. The cycling conditions necessary clean reduce milder than for nan...

OBJECTIVE Analyze the economic value of replacing conventional fetal aneuploidy screening approaches with non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) in the general pregnancy population. METHODS Using decision-analysis modeling, we compared conventional screening to NIPT with cell-free DNA (cfDNA) analysis in the annual US pregnancy population. Sensitivity and specificity for fetal aneuploidies, tri...

Detection of detached fetal nucleated red blood cells (fNRBCs) in the maternal peripheral blood may serve as a prospective testing method competing with the cell-free DNA, in non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT). Methods: Herein, we introduce a facile and effective lab-on-a-chip method of fNRBCs detection using a capture-releasing material that is composed of biotin-doped polypyrrole nanopartic...

BACKGROUND Acquired imatinib (IM) resistance is frequently characterized by Bcr-Abl mutations that affect IM binding and kinase inhibition in patients with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Bcr-Abl-T315I mutation is the predominant mechanism of the acquired resistance to IM. Therefore, it is urgent to search for additional approaches and targeting strategies to overcome IM resistance. We rece...

INTRODUCTION Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for aneuploidy using cell-free DNA in maternal plasma has been widely adopted. Recently, NIPT coverage has expanded to detect subchromosomal abnormalities including the 22q11.2 deletion. Validation of a SNP-based NIPT for detection of 22q11.2 deletions demonstrating a high sensitivity (97.8%) and specificity (99.75%) has been reported. We sought...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) through the analysis of cell-free DNA in maternal plasma has rapidly changed screening for fetal chromosome abnormalities. We review practical and ethical challenges associated with the transition, progress in their resolution, and identify new emerging difficulties. RECENT FINDINGS NIPT is an advanced screening test for trisomies 21, 18, ...