Fetal granulocytes in maternal venous blood detected by in situ hybridization

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Abstract
Fetal male cells from maternal venous blood were detected by a non‐radioactive in situ hybridization method using the biotinylated Y‐specific DNA probe pY431. The hybridizations were performed on Ficoll‐Paque‐isolated nucleated blood cells obtained from 11 pregnant women in the seventh to 31st week of gestation. A Y‐specific signal was detected in both granulocytes and lymphocyte‐like cells in seven of the 11 women studied. These women gave birth to boys. In one of the four remaining cases, a Y‐specific signal was detected in the lymphocyte‐like cells but not in the granulocytes. This woman gave birth to a girl. The other three women had no cells with a Y‐specific signal and all three gave birth to girls. Altogether, 83 500 nucleated cells were analysed. One hundred and three cells showed a Y‐specific signal. Of these Y‐specific cells, 62 per cent were granulocytes and 38 per cent lymphocyte‐like cells. Our results suggest that fetomaternal transfer of granulocytes is common and that it occurs as early as in the seventh week of gestation. None of the ten non‐pregnant female control samples showed positive cells with the Y‐chromosome‐specific probe; approximately 97 per cent of the cells from the five adult male controls showed a Y‐specific signal. Our results indicate that in situ hybridization using a Y‐specific DNA probe performed on granulocytes in maternal blood can be used for fetal male sex determination.