The presence of trophoblastic cells in intrauterine lavage samples : lack of correlation with maternal and obstetric characteristics

Objectives To investigate the correlation between maternal, obstetric and sample characteristics and the quality (i.e. yield of trophoblastic cells) of intrauterine lavage (IUL) samples. Methods We collected 202 IUL samples from women scheduled for first trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP). Trophoblastic cellswere isolated from IUL samples and used for DNA analysis by a multiplex quantitative fluorescent polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) assay. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed, and a p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results The presence of trophoblastic cellsin IUL samples was documented in 151/202 cases (74.7%). Blood contamination of IULs was the only characteristic to positively correlate with the presence of trophoblasts(p = 0.039; OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.03–3.82). Conclusions The correlation between the presence of contaminating blood and trophoblastic cellswould indirectly confirm the hypothesis that IUL might act as a mini-CVS. The high yield rate of trophoblastsirrespective of maternal characteristics and past obstetric history would support the clinical use of this sampling technique, provided that its safety is clearly defined. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.