Maternal peripheral blood CD34⁺ cells for prediction of fetal kidney malformations: results from a case-control analysis

Purpose: To evaluate the relation between CD34⁺ cells count in maternal blood and potential development of fetal congenital renal abnormalities.

Materials and methods: We enrolled 16 women that gave birth to newborns carrying congenital renal malformations over a 3-year period and 48 women with uncomplicated pregnancies (controls) in a 1:3 ratio (three controls per case).

Results: CD34⁺ cells in the maternal peripheral blood were significantly lower in the group of women who gave birth to newborns carrying congenital renal malformations compared to the controls (p < .0001).

Conclusions: CD34⁺ cells in maternal blood could be validated as a potential marker to predict the development of possible kidney malformations.