Fetal Cells and Cell Free Fetal Nucleic Acids in Maternal Blood: New Tools to Study Abnormal Placentation?

A striking finding of these examinations was that preterm labour was associated with an elevated release of cell free fetal nucleic acids but not with an increment in feto-maternal cell trafficking. This suggested that the analysis of the mechanisms regulating trans-placental cell trafficking or liberation of circulatory fetal nucleic acids may provide key insights into the fundamentally different placental lesions underlying these disorders. As such, circulatory fetal cells and nucleic acids may be viewed as new tools to study alterations in placentation.