Fetal gender and several cytokines are associated with the number of fetal cells in maternal blood--an observational study

Jacob Mørup Schlütter; Ida Kirkegaard; Olav Bjørn Petersen; Nanna Larsen; Britta Christensen; David M Hougaard; Steen Kølvraa; Niels Uldbjerg

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0106934

Fetal gender and several cytokines are associated with the number of fetal cells in maternal blood--an observational study

PLoS One. 2014 Sep 4;9(9):e106934. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0106934. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Jacob Mørup Schlütter¹, Ida Kirkegaard¹, Olav Bjørn Petersen¹, Nanna Larsen², Britta Christensen³, David M Hougaard², Steen Kølvraa⁴, Niels Uldbjerg¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Aarhus, Denmark.
² Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Immunology, Statens Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark.
³ FCMB ApS, Vejle, Denmark.
⁴ Department of Clinical Genetics, University of Southern Denmark, Vejle Hospital, Vejle, Denmark.

Abstract

Objective: To identify factors influencing the number of fetal cells in maternal blood.

Methods: A total of 57 pregnant women at a gestational age of weeks 11-14 were included. The number of fetal cells in maternal blood was assessed in 30 ml of blood using specific markers for both enrichment and subsequent identification.

Results: Participants carrying male fetuses had a higher median number of fetal cells in maternal blood than those carrying female fetuses (5 vs. 3, p = 0.04). Certain cytokines (RANTES, IL-2 and IL-5) were significantly associated with the number of fetal cells in maternal blood.

Conclusion: The number of fetal cells in maternal blood is associated with certain cytokines and fetal gender.

Publication types

Observational Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Cell Count
Cell Lineage / immunology
Cell Separation
Cell Tracking
Chemokine CCL5 / blood
Chemokine CCL5 / immunology
Female
Fetal Blood / cytology*
Fetal Blood / immunology
Fetus / cytology*
Fetus / immunology
Gestational Age
Humans
Interleukin-2 / blood
Interleukin-2 / immunology
Interleukin-5 / blood
Interleukin-5 / immunology
Male
Pregnancy
Sex Characteristics
Sex Factors

Substances

CCL5 protein, human
Chemokine CCL5
IL5 protein, human
Interleukin-2
Interleukin-5

Grants and funding

The isolation of fetal cells in this article was performed and funded by the private company FCMB ApS, which went into liquidation 18 months ago. FCMB ApS had developed a method for quantifying fetal cells in maternal blood, but for this study FCMB ApS had no role in study design, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Funders: Two authors (SK and BC) were funders of the firm FCMB ApS, which went into liquidation 18 months ago. The roles of SK and BC in this study were solely related to the counting of fetal cells in the samples. SK and BC filed before the liquidation of FCMB ApS patent applications for the basic methods used for the countings, enrichment and identification of fetal cells in maternal blood and ligants for such use (European application no EP13169861, EP11785308 and EP10701193), and detection of fetal cells from maternal blood (European application no. EP10188156 and EP06818152), but do not own these patent applications at present. With regards to the data in this publication, the patent applications do not alter the authors’ adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials. Other funding sources: Aarhus University, Familien Hede-Nielsens Fond, Aase og Ejner Danielsens Fond, and Snedkermester Sophus Jacobsen og hustru Astrid Jacobsens Fond. These funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.