Fetal cells in the blood of pregnant women: detection and enrichment by fluorescence-activated cell sorting.

Fetal cells, potentially usable for prenatal diagnosis, were sorted from maternal blood samples taken as early as 15 weeks of gestation. Immunogenetic and cytogenic criteria established the fetal origin of the observed cells: Y-chromatin-containing (male) cells were detected in the sorted sample if and only if the newborn proved to be male and carried cell-surface antigens detected by the fluorescent-labeled antibody used for sorting with the fluorescence-activated cell sorter.