Prenatal Paternity Testing Using DNA Extracted from Coelomic Cells

Objective: Prenatal paternity testing can be performed following invasive prenatal diagnosis with amniocentesis or CVS. Coelocentesis is a new technique that could be used as an alternative method early in the first trimester of pregnancy. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential use of the DNA extracted from coelomic cells in the prenatal paternity testing. Methods: Coelocentesis was performed in 20 singleton pregnancies at 7–9 weeks of gestation immediately before surgical termination of pregnancy. Chorionic cells from the placenta and blood cells from the parents were processed by the standard salt extraction method. Two loci, TPO and Apo B, were used for paternity testing in the DNA of coelomic cells, chorionic cells and blood cells. Results: There was concordance in the results obtained from the coelomic cells and chorionic villi. In two cases only the polymorphisms used were not conclusively informative for paternity exclusion. Conclusions: Coelomic cells are potentially useful for early paternity testing.