Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 45, Issue 2 , Pages 114-119, June 2006

Pathogens in Maternal Blood and Fetal Cord Blood Using Q-Pcr Assay

  • Guang Qiong Hou

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Guang Qiong Hou, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, 707 Chung Yang Road, Section 3, Hualien 970, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Sidney S. Chen

      Affiliations

    • Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Buddhist Tzu Chi General Hospital, Hualien, Taiwan
    • ,
  • Chan Ping Lee

      Affiliations

    • Department of Biochemistry, Tzu Chi University, Hualien, Taiwan

Accepted 11 November 2004.

Article Outline

Summary 

Objective

To evaluate the rates of infection of asymptomatic fetuses and mothers through fetal cord blood and maternal blood examination results.

Materials and Methods

Quantitative PCR (Q-PCR) was used to detect pathogens in maternal peripheral blood and fetal cord blood after delivery of term pregnancy at Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Center, Hualien, between July 2002 and June 2003.

Results

We used Q-PCR to detect pathogens in 29 samples of maternal blood. The maternal hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA detection rate was 51.72% (15/29); for human cytomegalovirus DNA, the detection rate was 10.34% (3/29) and for Chlamydia trachomatis DNA the detection rate was 3.45% (1/29). No Neisseria gonorrhoeae DNA was detected. Whereas, in 29 samples of paired fetal cord blood, the detection rates were 27.59% (8/29), 10.34% (3/29), and 3.45% (1/29) for HBV DNA, C. trachomatis DNA, and N. gonorrhoeae DNA, respectively. No human cytomegalovirus DNA was detected in fetal cord blood.

Conclusion

Our results revealed an unexpectedly high incidence of pathogens in fetal cord blood. Screening for the above pathogens in donor cord blood in cord blood banks using Q-PCR is strongly urged to decrease morbidity and mortality rates in fetal cord blood stem cell transplant recipients.

Key Words:  cord blood , pathogens , Q-PCR , term pregnancy

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PII: S1028-4559(09)60207-2

doi:10.1016/S1028-4559(09)60207-2

Taiwanese Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Volume 45, Issue 2 , Pages 114-119, June 2006

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