Liat Gutstein-Abo

Publications of Liat Gutstein-Abo

• Automatic retrieval of single microchimeric cells and verification of identity by on-chip multiplex PCR.

  Authors: Thomas Kroneis, Liat Gutstein-Abo, Kristina Kofler, Michaele Hartmann, Petra Hartmann, Marianna Alunni-Fabbroni, Wolfgang Walcher, Gottfried Dohr, Erwin Petek, Esther Guetta, Peter Sedlmayr

  Journal of cellular and molecular medicine. 06/2009;

  ABSTRACT The analysis of rare cells is not an easy task. This is especially true when cells representing a fetal microchimerism are to be utilized for the purpose of non-invasive prenatal diagnosisABSTRACT The analysis of rare cells is not an easy task. This is especially true when cells representing a fetal microchimerism are to be utilized for the purpose of non-invasive prenatal diagnosis since it is both imperative and difficult to avoid contaminating the minority of fetal cells with maternal ones. Under these conditions, even highly specific biochemical markers are not perfectly reliable. We have developed a method to verify the genomic identity of rare cells that combines automatic screening for enriched target cells (based on immunofluorescence labelling) with isolation of single candidate microchimeric cells (by laser microdissection and subsequent laser-catapulting) and low-volume on-chip multiplex PCR for DNA fingerprint analysis. The power of the method was tested by using samples containing mixed cells of related and non-related individuals. Single cell DNA fingerprinting was successful in 74% of the cells analyzed (55/74) with a PCR efficiency of 59.2% (860/1452) for heterozygous loci. The identification of cells by means of DNA profiling was achieved in 100% (12/12) of non-related cells in artificial mixtures and in 86% (37/43) of cells sharing a haploid set of chromosomes and was performed on cells enriched from blood and cells isolated from tissue. We suggest DNA profiling as a standard for the identification of microchimerism on a single cell basis.

• Trophoblasts isolated from the maternal circulation: in vitro expansion and potential application in non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.

  Authors: Esther Guetta, Liat Gutstein-Abo, Gad Barkai

  The journal of histochemistry and cytochemistry : official journal of the Histochemistry Society. 04/2005; 53(3):337-9.

  Prenatal diagnosis based on rare fetal cells in maternal blood is currently not a feasible option. An effort was made to improve cell yields by targeting trophoblast cells. After sorting, thePrenatal diagnosis based on rare fetal cells in maternal blood is currently not a feasible option. An effort was made to improve cell yields by targeting trophoblast cells. After sorting, the HLA-G-positive cell fraction was analyzed directly or after culture. In situ hybridization technology was applied to prove fetal cell source in samples from women carrying a male fetus and to predict gender in samples without previous knowledge of fetal sex. In vitro culture led to a significant increase in fetal cells and accurate gender prediction in 93% of these samples. This approach might be useful for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.