mRNA of placental origin is readily detectable in maternal plasma
- Enders K. O. Ng*,
- Nancy B. Y. Tsui*,
- Tze K. Lau†,
- Tse N. Leung†,
- Rossa W. K. Chiu*,
- Nirmal S. Panesar*,
- Lydia C. W. Lit*,
- Kam-Wing Chan*, and
- Y. M. Dennis Lo*,‡
- Departments of *Chemical Pathology and †Obstetrics and Gynecology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong
-
Edited by George Klein, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden, and approved January 21, 2003 (received for review December 6, 2002)
Abstract
The discovery of circulating fetal nucleic acid in maternal plasma has opened up new possibilities for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. Thus far, a gender- and polymorphism-independent fetal-specific target that can be used for prenatal screening and monitoring in all pregnant women has not been reported. In addition, the origin of such circulating nucleic acid has remained unclear. Here we provide direct evidence that the placenta is an important source of fetal nucleic acid release into maternal plasma by demonstrating that mRNA transcripts from placenta-expressed genes are readily detectable in maternal plasma. The surprising stability of such placental mRNA species in maternal plasma and their rapid clearance after delivery demonstrate that such circulating mRNA molecules are practical markers for clinical use. The measurement of such plasma mRNA markers has provided a gender-independent approach for noninvasive prenatal gene expression profiling and has opened up numerous research and diagnostic possibilities.
Footnotes
-
↵ ‡ To whom correspondence should be addressed at: Department of Chemical Pathology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Room 38023, 1/F Clinical Sciences Building, 30-32 Ngan Shing Street, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong. E-mail: loym{at}cuhk.edu.hk.
-
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the PNAS office.
-
See commentary on page 4360.
- Abbreviations:
- hPL,
- human placental lactogen;
- βhCG,
- β subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin
- Copyright © 2003, The National Academy of Sciences
