[Expert consensus on the quality control of in situ culture technique for amniotic fluid cells on slides (2025 Edition)].

Abstract

Amniotic fluid cell culture and chromosomal karyotyping analysis have significant value in prenatal diagnosis. Conventionally, amniotic fluid cells were cultured in bottles, and were then digested to prepare chromosomes for karyotyping analysis. This process has certain limitations including long culturing time, requirement for cell transfer, and potential loss of clone information. In-situ culturing technique on glass slides for amniotic fluid cells has the advantages of simple operation, direct in-situ culture and cell harvest, direct automatic scanning of the glass slides, karyotyping analysis based on clones, and shortening the reporting cycle. It has been adopted by more and more prenatal diagnostic laboratories. To ensure the quality control of this technology, the Clinical Genetics Group of the Medical Geneticist Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association and Genetic Disease Control Group of the Professional Committee on Birth Defect Prevention, Chinese Preventive Medicine Association have jointly organized experts to discuss and formulate this consensus. The content has included the operation procedure of in-situ culture on glass slides, chromosomal harvesting and preparation, karyotyping analysis, and quality control of the laboratory.