Maternal cell contamination (MCC) is potential risk associated with testing on prenatal, products of conception (POC), or cord blood specimens. MCC can occur if maternal blood or tissue comes into contact with a prenatal or fetal, POC, or cord blood specimen, such as during prenatal diagnostic procedures that include chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis, extraction of fetal blood from the umbilical cord (cord blood), or collection of tissue sample from POC. If significant MCC is present in a prenatal, fetal, or cord blood specimen, the maternal DNA may interfere with the interpretation of diagnostic genetic testing. Therefore, the results of genetic testing on prenatal or cord blood specimens may be compromised. MCC studies are important to consider and are often required or recommended by the laboratory performing prenatal testing to determine if maternal cells are present and whether the test result may be compromised due to MCC.

MCC testing is used to determine if contamination has occurred and is ideally performed by obtaining both fetal and maternal specimens for genotyping using short tandem repeat (STR) markers. The STR patterns from the maternal and fetal specimens are compared to assess for the presence of maternal cells.

0050608 Maternal Cell Contamination, Maternal Specimen

  • This test is used to submit a MATERNAL whole blood specimen when MCC testing is requested on a fetal, prenatal, or cord blood specimen. This is not a standalone test and must be ordered in conjunction with one or more fetal diagnostic test.

0051596 Maternal Cell Contamination, Fetal Specimen

  • This test is used to rule out the presence of MCC within a FETAL, PRENATAL, or CORD BLOOD specimen when contamination testing is NOT included as a component of diagnostic testing performed at ARUP.
  • Fetal tests that include fetal STR markers as a test component are noted in the ARUP Laboratory Test Directory under Components.

Select the specimen type below to see specific MCC ordering instructions:

Amniotic Fluid or Chorionic Villus

2002366Cytogenomic SNP Microarray - Fetal

Amniotic Fluid

2002293Chromosome Analysis, Amniotic Fluid
2008367Chromosome Analysis, Amniotic Fluid, with Reflex to Genomic Microarray
2011130Chromosome FISH, Amniotic Fluid with Reflex to Chromosome Analysis or Genomic Microarray

Chorionic Villus

2002291Chromosome Analysis, Chorionic Villus
2011131Chromosome FISH, Chorionic Villus with Reflex to Chromosome Analysis or Genomic Microarray

Products of Conception (POC)

2002288Chromosome Analysis, Products of Conception
2005633Genomic SNP Microarray, Products of Conception
2005762Chromosome Analysis, Products of Conception, with Reflex to Genomic Microarray
3004273Cytogenomic Molecular Inversion Probe Array FFPE Tissue – Products of Conception

Molecular Fetal Testing

Guide for Ordering MCC Testing for Molecular Prenatal Testing MCC ordering guide
2011231Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Deletion/Duplication, Fetal
3005869Familial Targeted Sequencing, Fetal
2009034Fragile X (FMR1) with Reflex to Methylation Analysis, Fetal
0051270Galactosemia (GALT) 9 Mutations, Fetal
2001755Hemophilia A (F8) 2 Inversions, Fetal
2008863Holoprosencephaly Panel, Sequencing and Deletion/Duplication, Fetal
3019937Huntington Disease (HD) CAG Repeat Expansion, Fetal
3016676Kell K/k (KEL) Antigen Genotyping, Fetal
2010769Noonan Spectrum Disorders Panel, Sequencing, Fetal
3016673Platelet Antigen Genotyping Panel, Fetal
3016639Red Blood Cell Antigen Genotyping, Fetal
3016679RhC/c (RHCE) Antigen Genotyping, Fetal
3016640RhD Gene (RHD) Copy Number, Fetal
3016682RhE/e (RHCE) Antigen Genotyping, Fetal
2012010Skeletal Dysplasia Panel, Sequencing and Deletion/Duplication, Fetal
2013444Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) Copy Number Analysis, Fetal
3002096Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Panel, Sequencing and Deletion/Duplication, Fetal
*Fetal testing on cultured cells can be performed for any of the disorders on this panel; contact an ARUP genetic counselor when ordering.

Cord Blood Testing

Guide for Ordering MCC Testing on Cord Blood MCC ordering guide

 

ARUP Genetic Counselors

Healthcare providers with questions may contact an ARUP genetic counselor: 800-242-2787 ext. 2141 or email GeneticCounselors@aruplab.com

ARUP Consult®

Refer to ARUP Consult for information on ordering recommendations, Test Fact Sheets, and testing algorithms.