Quantification of Extracellular DNA Using Hypermethylated RASSF1A, SRY, and GLO Sequences-Evaluation of Diagnostic Possibilities for Predicting Placental Insufficiency
Abstract
This study evaluated quantification of fetal extracellular DNA in maternal plasma for differentiation between cases at risk of onset of placental-insufficiency-related complications and normal pregnancies. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction, fetal (sex-determining region Y [SRY] and hypermethylated RASSF1A sequence) and total (beta-globin [GLO] gene) extracellular DNA was examined in 70 normal pregnancies, 18 at risk of placental-insufficiency-related pregnancy complications, 24 preeclampsia with or without (w or w/o) intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) (median 34.0 week), and 11 IUGR (median 28.5 week).
IUGR was diagnosed when estimated fetal weight was below the 10th percentile for evaluated gestational age. These data indicate that fetal and total extracellular DNA concentrations can be significantly elevated in plasma of patients who later developed placental-insufficiency-related pregnancy complications.