Enrichment of circulating trophoblasts from maternal blood using filtration-based Metacell® technology

PLoS One. 2022 Jul 14;17(7):e0271226. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0271226. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

In a cell-based non-invasive prenatal test (cbNIPT), intact circulating trophoblasts (CTs) are isolated from maternal blood for subsequent genetic analysis. Enrichment of these CTs from maternal blood is the most challenging step in the cbNIPT workflow. This study aims to assess the suitability of the filtration-based Metacell® technology to enrich CTs from maternal blood at week 10 to 13 of gestation. The Metacell® technology is a novel size-based enrichment technology that combines blood filtration through 8 μm pores with an in vitro culture method. Three protocols were evaluated. First, 8 mL or 16 mL of maternal blood was filtered and subsequently cultured in vitro on the separation membrane for 3 days in RPMI 1640. In addition, 16 mL of maternal blood was filtered, and immediately processed without further culturing. Y-chromosome-specific qPCR or STR analysis was performed to evaluate the enrichment of CTs. A total of 44 samples from pregnant women, out of which 26 were carrying a male fetus, were processed. Although five enriched male fetus samples show detectable male DNA quantities, it cannot be excluded that the obtained positive signal is caused by cell-free fetal DNA sticking to the Metacell® separation membrane. In conclusion, the Metacell® technology, tested as described, is not suitable for consistent enrichment of CTs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA
  • Female
  • Fetus
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Pregnancy
  • Prenatal Diagnosis* / methods
  • Technology
  • Trophoblasts*

Substances

  • DNA

Grants and funding

This study was funded by two PhD grants from the Special Research Fund (BOF) of Ghent University awarded to Jana Weymaere(J.W.) (BOF17/DOC/265) and Olivier Tytgat (O.T.) (BOF18/DOC/200). URL BOF: https://www.ugent.be/en/research/funding/bof/overview.htm J.W. did the set-up, the practical part, data acquisition, data analysis, data interpretation, and wrote the main manuscript text. O.T. participated in study design and conceptions and gave critical revisions.