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No evidence of fetal DNA persistence in maternal plasma after pregnancy

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Abstract

Short- and long-term persistence of fetal DNA in maternal plasma has been investigated. Short-term persistence at very low concentration was detected in 47 out of 105 women within two days after delivery. Twelve out of 13 samples re-tested within three days scored negative. No long-term persistence was detected in 172 women who had previous sons or abortions. Molecular microchimerism due to circulating fetal DNA persisting from previous pregnancies should not hamper non-invasive plasma-based prenatal testing.

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Acknowledgements

The financial support of Telethon-Italy (Grant no. E.1110) to L. C. is gratefully acknowledged. A.F. was funded by MIUR Cofin 2002.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, H. San Raffaele, Milano, Italy

    Maddalena Smid, Dania Gambini & Augusto Ferrari

  2. Unit of Genomics for Diagnosis of Human Pathologies, IRCCS H. San Raffaele, 58 via Olgettina, 20132, Milano, Italy

    Silvia Galbiati, Antonia Vassallo & Laura Cremonesi

  3. Centro di Ecografia e Diagnosi Prenatale, Ospedale S. Anna, Torino, Italy

    Elsa Viora

  4. Cattedra A, Università di Torino, Italy

    Marco Pagliano

  5. Dipartimento di Patologia Clinica, A.O.O.I.R.M.-S. Anna, Torino, Italy

    Gabriella Restagno

  6. Diagnostica e Ricerca S. Raffaele S.p.A., H. San Raffaele, Milano, Italy

    Maurizio Ferrari

Authors
  1. Maddalena Smid
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  2. Silvia Galbiati
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  3. Antonia Vassallo
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  4. Dania Gambini
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  5. Augusto Ferrari
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  6. Elsa Viora
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  7. Marco Pagliano
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  8. Gabriella Restagno
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  9. Maurizio Ferrari
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  10. Laura Cremonesi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Laura Cremonesi.

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Smid, M., Galbiati, S., Vassallo, A. et al. No evidence of fetal DNA persistence in maternal plasma after pregnancy. Hum Genet 112, 617–618 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-003-0919-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-003-0919-3

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