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Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Isolation of Leukocytes from the Human Maternal-fetal Interface
Published on: May 21, 2015
A new methodology to preserve the original proportion and integrity of cell-free fetal DNA in maternal plasma during
M R Fernando1, K Chen, S Norton
1Research and Development Division, Streck Inc., La Vista, NE 68128, USA. rfernando@streck.com
Objective:
To develop a standardized blood collection device that preserves fetal cell-free DNA and minimizes the cell-free DNA background in maternal plasma.
Methods:
Blood samples were drawn from healthy pregnant donors into K(3)EDTA (BD vacutainer) and Cell-free DNA BCT tubes (Streck, Inc.) and kept at ambient temperature. Plasma was separated by centrifugation and cell-free DNA was extracted. Cell-free DNA from plasma was quantified by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.
Results:
Blood drawn into Cell-free DNA BCT tubes showed no change in the original proportion of fetal cell-free DNA during a 14-day storage period at ambient temperature. Conversely, maternal blood drawn into K(3)EDTA tubes showed a steady reduction in the original proportion of fetal cell-free DNA over the same time period. Using maternal plasma stored in Cell-free DNA BCT tubes for 14 days, fetal cell-free DNA was amplified 80-fold using whole genome amplification (WGA).
Conclusion:
Using Streck's Cell-free DNA BCT tubes, it is possible to preserve the original proportion of fetal cell-free DNA for extended times as well as minimize the post-sampling maternal cell-free DNA background. Preserved in this way, fetal cell-free DNA can be amplified by WGA technology to be used in prenatal diagnostic tests.
