Highly sensitive conventional PCR testing of free fetal DNA in maternal serum for non-invasive fetal sex determination

ABSTRACT

Background: free fetal DNA [FFD] in maternal plasma/serum has increasingly become the source of fetal material for diagnostic purposes in recent years. This source of fetal material can be used for sex determination, Rh typing, paternally inherited sequences and compound heterozygosity. Reports on the lack of consistent PCR amplification of Y-chromosome sequences of FFD in maternal plasma/serum have led diagnostic services to the use of real-time PCR for improved sensitivity of sex determination. We report the use of conventional PCR for fetal sex determination with high sensitivity and reproducibility