Amir Monfaredan
1, Shahrokh Amiri, Seyed Mahmoud Tabatabaei
*1 Department of Lab Sciences, School of Medicine, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
2 Research Center of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
3 Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Tabriz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tabriz, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Prenatal diagnosis is testing for detection of diseases or conditions in a fetus or embryo before it is born. Most of prenatal diagnostic (PD) techniques are invasive and done in late stages of pregnancy. Using fetal DNA in maternal blood for fetal sex determination in early pregnancy might help in management of X-linked genetic diseases. This study aimed to investigate the accuracy of sex determination using fetal DNA in maternal blood at 8-12 weeks of gestation. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 30 pregnant women at 8-12 weeks of gestation were enrolled. The sex-determining region Y (SRY) gene expression with the internal control (IC) glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) was investigated with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using specific primers and probes. Results: Accuracy of sex determination with SRY gene expression in 8-12 weeks of pregnancy were 85%, 85%, 90% and 100% respectively. Conclusion: It seems that fetal sex determining using fetal DNA in maternal blood is a reliable method for early stage of pregnancy.