Enrichment of fetal cells from maternal blood by magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) with fetal cell specific antibodies: One‐step versus two‐step MACS

ABSTRACT  We report here the results of fetal cell enrichment from maternal blood in 58 pregnant women by the use of magnetic activated cell sorting (MACS) with erythroblast‐specific and/or maternal cell specific antibodies. Two approaches were compared; one‐step MACS to enrich CD71+ (a membrane‐bound marker) or GPA+ (another marker, glycophorin A) fetal cells versus two‐step MACS to deplete CD14+ maternal cells and subsequently to enrich fetal (CD71+ or GPA+) cells. The existence of fetal cells was ensured by both FISH with Y‐specific probes and karyotyping of respective anuniotic and/or chorionic vullus cells, the results being applied for comparison of detection rate for XY fetuses between the two MACS procedures.