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RhD-negative Pregnant Women (rhd-negative + pregnant_woman)

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Medical Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

Recent advances in non-invasive prenatal DNA diagnosis through analysis of maternal blood

JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY RESEARCH (ELECTRONIC), Issue 6 2007
Akihiko Sekizawa
Abstract Prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidy and single-gene disorders is usually performed by collecting fetal samples through amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. However, these invasive procedures are associated with some degree of risk to the fetus and/or mother. Therefore, in recent years, considerable effort has been made to develop non-invasive prenatal diagnostic procedures. One potential non-invasive approach involves analysis of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma or serum. Another approach utilizes fetal cells within the maternal circulation as a source of fetal DNA. At the present time, fetal gender and fetal RhD blood type within RhD-negative pregnant women can be reliably determined through analysis of maternal plasma. Furthermore, genetic alterations can be diagnosed in the maternal plasma when the mother does not have the alterations. However, the diagnosis of maternally inherited genetic disease and aneuploidy is limited using this approach. Non-invasive prenatal diagnosis through examination of intact fetal cells circulating within maternal blood can be used to diagnose a full range of genetic disorders. Since only a limited number of fetal cells circulate within maternal blood, procedures to enrich the cells and enable single cell analysis with high sensitivity are required. Recently, separation methods, including a lectin-based method and autoimage analyzing, have been developed, which have improved the sensitivity of genetic analysis. This progress has supported the possibility of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of genetic disorders. In the present article, we discuss recent advances in the field of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. [source]

Pharmacokinetics of anti-D IgG in pregnant RhD-negative women

BJOG : AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS & GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 1 2003
Johann Bichler
Objective To assess the pharmacokinetics of anti-D IgG in pregnant Rhesus D-negative women after intramuscular and intravenous administration of 300 ,g of Rhophylac. Design An open, randomised, multicentre study. Setting Seven gynaecological practices in Germany. Sample Fourteen RhD-negative pregnant women at risk of becoming Rhesus D immunised received study drug at 28th week of pregnancy either by intramuscular or intravenous route. Main outcome measures Anti-D IgG concentrations of serum samples obtained up to 11 weeks following antenatal Rhesus D prophylaxis were quantified by flow cytometry. Results Mean anti-D IgG concentrations after intravenous and intramuscular administration differed up to seven days post-injection, from two weeks onwards they were comparable to each other. Irrespective of the administration route, anti-D IgG in serum was detectable in all women up to at least nine weeks post-administration. Conclusions The serum concentrations of anti-D IgG measured after administration of Rhophylac were very similar to those obtained with 300 ,g of a different anti-D immunoglobulin product. [source]

Fetal RHD genotyping in maternal serum during the first trimester of pregnancy

BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2002
Jean-Marc Costa
Summary., Fetal RHD genotype determination is useful in the management of sensitized RhD-negative pregnant women. It can be ascertained early during pregnancy by chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis. However, these procedures are invasive, resulting both in an increased risk of fetal loss and in an increased severity of immunization due to fetomaternal haemorrhage. A reliable determination of RHD genotype by fetal DNA analysis in maternal serum during the first trimester of pregnancy is reported in this study. One hundred and six sera from RhD-negative pregnant women were obtained during the first trimester of pregnancy. These sera were tested for the presence of RHD gene using a new real-time polymerase chain reaction assay and the results compared with those obtained later in pregnancy on amniotic fluid cells and by RHD serology of the new-born. All sera from women carrying a RhD-positive fetus (n = 62) gave positive results for RHD gene detection and sera from women carrying a RhD-negative fetus (n = 40) were negative. The high level of accuracy of fetal RHD genotyping obtained in this study could enable this technique to be offered on a routine basis for the management of RhD-negative patients during the first trimester of pregnancy. [source]