1. بنام خدا

2. Dr Solmaz Piri Obstetrician & Gynecologist Prenatalogist

3. Fetal Cell Free DNA in Maternal Blood

4. Cell-free DNA testing in maternal blood provides the most
effective method of screening for trisomy 21, with a reported
detection rate of 99% and a false positive rate of less than 0.1%.

5. The combined test (nuchal translucency measurement with serum protein markers) has been the recommended NHS method of screening for chromosomal abnormalities, with a Down syndrome detection rate of nearly 90% for a 3% positive rate.

6. Principle of NIFTY fragments for chrN %chrN = total fragments
Plasma cf-DNA extraction
50 bp
Bioinformatics
Sequencing & alignment 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 X Y
Firstly There are a lot of fetal and maternal DNA fragments circulating in maternal plasma
After the DNA extraction, we need to solve the problem is which chromosome does every fragment comes from? Sequence 50bp of every fragment, it is served as a tag to recognize the specific chromosome, with the help of bioinformatics,fragments can be mapped to chromosome uniquely.
Then, we count the number of every chromosome by counting the uniquely mapped fragments.
After that, we compute the value of chrN% which is a very important value for later statistics analysis.
As we know if a fetus has a third 21 chromosome, the chromosome 21 fragment must be slightly higher than expected.
Chromosomes
counting
%chrN =
total fragments
fragments for chrN
Coverage computation

7. Statistic Model Statistics for t score and L score
100 cell-equivalent free DNA /ml plasma: 95 from mother, 5 from fetus.
Pregnant woman with health fetus
Pregnant woman with trisomy 21 fetus
Mother Chr 21:
95X2=190
Fetus Chr 21:
5X2=10
Mother Chr 21:
95X2=190
Fetus Chr 21:
5X3=15
In maternal blood Total Chr 21=190+10=200
In maternal blood Total Chr 21=190+15=205
Let us set a simple model to understand this idea. Assume there are…, means volume of free DNA is equal to the volume in a integral cell
In pregnant woman with health fetus, number of chr21 of mother is
Please noted that: we don’t isolate the fetal DNA and count it independently, we count total number. We will make statistics analysis for t score and L score, to detect the discrepancy of total chr 21 between pregnant woman with health fetus and pregnant woman with trisomy 21 fetus
L：likelihood ratio
Statistics for t score and L score
GC correction
Binary hypothesis statistics analysis

8. Nuchal Translucency

12. 2nd trimester biochemical screening
Trisomic pregnancies are associated with altered maternal serum concentrations of various feto-placental products.
Screening in the second trimester by maternal age and various combinations of total or free ß-hCG, AFP, uE3 and Inhibin A can identify 56-71% of trisomy 21 pregnancies for a false positive rate of 5% (Meta-analysis by H Cuckle, P Penn and D Wright, Semin Perinatol 2005;29:252-7).
Screening in the first trimester by a combination of maternal age, fetal NT, FHR and serum free ß-hCG and PAPP-A identifies about 90% of trisomy 21 pregnancies for a false positive rate of 3%
100 NT
FHR
ß-hCG
PAPP-A
90% 90 80
ß-hCG
AFP E3 IA
71%
hCG
AFP E3 IA
67% 70
ß-hCG
AFP E3
65%
61%
ß-hCG
AFP
hCG
AFP E3
60%
hCG
AFP
56% 60
Detection rate (%) 50 40 30 20 10

13. Nuchal translucency at 11-13+6 wks
Trisomy 21
The NT thickness in euploid fetuses increases with fetal CRL
In 75-80% of trisomy 21 fetuses the NT thickness is above the 95th centile of the normal range
In trisomy 21 fetuses there is no relationship between NT thickness and maternal age
Maternal age can be combined with fetal NT to provide effective first-trimester screening for chromosomal abnormalities 8 6
Nuchal translucency thickness (mm) 4 2 45 55 65 75 85
Crown-rump length (mm)

14. In 1997 the presence of cell-free fetal DNA (cffDNA) in the maternal circulation was reported.

15. Theoretical Basis of NIFTY
Fundamental Features of Cell-Free Fetal DNA
① The content is 970 times greater than the DNA level of fetal cells in maternal blood.
② The content changes on a regular basis. Can be detected in maternal plasma from the 5th week of gestation. The concentration increases with the gestation and there are some individual differences.
③ Disappears soon after childbirth. The average half-life of cell-free fetal DNA is minutes (4 to 30 minutes) and it is undetectable in 2 hours.
1, That is why we choose it for our analysis
2, The amount of cell-free fetal DNA is increasing with the gestation age, and it can be detect as early as 5 weeks of gestation, but there are individual differences.
3, The cell-free fetal DNA has a short half-life, it’s mean half-life is 16.3 min, which means the fetal DNA will disappear soon after delivery. It allow for independent analysis when a woman have a secondary pregnancy

16. Fetal DNA comes from the placenta,can be detected from the first trimester of pregnancy onwards and is rapidly cleared from the maternal circulation after delivery.

17. maternal plasma MPS offers a much more efficient method than digital
PCR for maximising the amount of diagnostic information that can be obtained from a plasma sample.

18. in the majority of such cases.
To date, published data indicate extremely good results for trisomy 21 and trisomy 18 prediction when
sequencing is successful. However, there is typically a single-digit percentage chance of no result due to
the samples or sequencing results not meeting certain quality control criteria (which can vary from
approximately 1–10% depending on the service provider), although a repeat sample will produce a result
in the majority of such cases.

19. The amount of cffDNA( fetal fraction) in maternal blood increases with gestational age and decreases with maternal BMI.

20. Increased maternal weight and fetal aneuploidy is associated with lower fetal DNA fraction.

21. When the test can be performed: From 9 weeks up to delivery

22. The reason could be high adipose cell turnover increasing maternal plasma DNA or increasing blood volume and so a dilutional effect. This should be mentioned in counselling or patient information literature.

23. When a twin pregnancy is monochorionic (and so monozygotic), both fetuses will be affected or unaffected.

24. Monochorionic twins
Since the amount of cffDNA is approximately double that of a singleton pregnancy,51 cffDNA aneuploidy
testing will not only be possible but probably more effective than in singletons.

25. Therefore
invasive testing confirmation will be required before termination of pregnancy.

26. The complexity introduced by twin pregnancies suggests that, prior to cffDNA testing, a good quality ultrasound scan would be a valuable first step in all pregnancies, to detect empty pregnancy sacs, for example, with fetal medicine counselling when one is suspected.

27. There is good evidence that the source of the cffDNA is the placenta.
Abnormal cell lines can be present in the placenta that are not present in the fetus (in approximately 1% of CVS samples), a phenomenon often called ‘confined placental mosaicism’.

28. The widespread use of cffDNA is limited by cost

29. And

30. uncertain significance.
Another major disadvantage of screening nonspecifically for chromosomal aneuploidies (including but not
limited to Down syndrome) is that women who are pregnant will frequently be informed of findings of
uncertain significance.

32. In general population traditional methods may indirectly identify a fetus with an unbalanced translocation etc which cannot be detected by cffDNA

33. Maternal plasma MPS will be much better than maternal serum screening in the second trimester, which is still offered for women who book late.

34. MPS cannot detect triploidy but it can be detected by SNP-based techniquie

35. BUT

36. It can never replace NT scan but is an ecellent complementary test

37. cffDNA in all protocols is a test added to 1st trimester screening

38. The changes will also mean the workload of trained fetal medicine practitioners undertaking amniocentesis/CVS will reduce and the ratio will shift towards more CVS and away from amniocentesis.

39. risk will be further consolidated.
However, the previous abandonment of the use of what used to be called ‘soft markers’ to adjust screening
risk will be further consolidated.

40. ACOG Recommendations September 2015:

41. Proper patient councelling
Traditional screenings are the 1st line choice
Any patient can choose cffDNA regardless of her risk status if sh eis carefully coumcelled
cffDNA only screens for common trisomies
All positive results should have an invasive test
Multiple screenings is not cost effective and should not be performed

42. Termination of pregnancy should not be based on cffDNA result
No call test result should have genetic councelling , detailed ultrasound scan and a diagnostic test if needed based on risk status
Routine cffDNA for microdeletions is not recommended yet

43. Routine cffDNA for multiple gestations is not recommended but there is emerging evidence that it is useful in twins
In case of fetal anomaly the mother should be offered a diagnottic test
A negative cffDNA test does not ensure an unaffected pregnancy
cffDNA does not screen for NTD

44. What else we can screen for in 1st trimester scan ?

55. Do something. Do more. Do it better.
There was something for everyone in our recommendations.If you are in a country with poorly developed social systems,do something.It will make a difference.If your country is on the way, do more.And if you are in the Nordic countries ,do it better.
Do something. Do more. Do it better.
Michael Marmot
The health gap

56. Thank you very much for your attention