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Circulating cell-free fetal messenger RNA levels after fetoscopic interventions of complicated pregnancies.

Tjoa ML, Jani J, Lewi L, Peter I, Wataganara T, Johnson KL, Bianchi DW, Deprest JA

Department of Pediatrics, Division of Genetics, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, MA 02111, USA.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine fetal gene expression in maternal plasma after fetoscopic intervention for twin-twin transfusion syndrome or congenital diaphragmatic hernia. STUDY DESIGN: Twelve women with pregnancies that were complicated by twin-twin transfusion syndrome and 10 women carrying fetuses with congenital diaphragmatic hernia were sampled before and sequentially after treatment. Levels of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, human placental lactogen, and gamma globin messenger RNA were measured by real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction amplification. RESULTS: At all time points, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase messenger RNA levels were higher in the congenital diaphragmatic hernia cases than in the twin-twin transfusion syndrome cases (P < .05), but during the immediate postoperative observation period, there were no significant changes in glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, human placental lactogen, or gamma globin messenger RNA levels in individual patients or patients who were grouped by procedure. CONCLUSION: Fetoscopic intervention of complicated pregnancies does not affect circulating fetal messenger RNA levels, which is in contrast to earlier observations that circulating fetal DNA levels increase after laser ablation for twin-twin transfusion syndrome. Plasma glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase messenger RNA levels could be a potential novel biomarker for fetal trauma.

Published 3 July 2006 in Am J Obstet Gynecol, 195(1): 230-5.
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