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Test Code
1389
Test Name
Maternal Cell Contamination (MCC)
CPT Codes
81265
Expected Turnaround Time
Resulted with prenatal specimen, dependent on methodology: Sanger: 1-2 weeks NGS: 2-4 weeks
Clinical Utility

Recommended for all diagnostic prenatal tests to ensure the accuracy of the results.
Specimen and Container Info

Non-Prenatal Specimens

Preferred/Alternate

Specimen Type

Containers

Volume

Preferred Specimen Type

Whole Blood

Lavender Top (EDTA)

3 mL

Alternate Specimen Type

Genomic DNA

1.5 mL Tube

3 µg (at a concentration of at least 30 ng/µl), preferably in TE solution.

Alternate Specimen Type

Fibroblasts

T-25 Flasks

2 confluent T-25 flasks, filled to capacity

Alternate Specimen Type

Saliva (Whole blood is recommended for CNV)

DNA Self-Collection Kit or Oragene Saliva Collection Kit for Young Children

Follow kit instructions (www.dnagenotek.com)

Prenatal Specimens

Either specimen type below is acceptable.

Specimen Type

Containers

Volume

Cultured cells

T-25 Flasks

2 confluent T-25 flasks derived from amnio or CVS samples.

Genomic DNA

1.5 mL Tube

3 µg (at a concentration of at least 30 ng/µl), preferably in TE solution.

NOTE: For specimens from outside of North America, the preferred specimen type is Genomic DNA. HNL Genomics does not recommend shipping whole blood or cultured cells from any location other than the United States, Canada, or Mexico.
Transport Instructions
  • Transport at room temperature within 24 hours.
  • If the specimen cannot be transported to the lab within 24 hours, refrigerate for up to 72 hours.
  • Do not freeze or expose to extreme temperatures, refrigerate for up to 72 hours if cannot be transported to lab within 24 hours. 
Stability Requirements

Room Temperature

24 hours

Refrigerated

72 hours
Causes for Rejection
  • Improperly labeled specimen (minimum of two patient identifiers)
  • Inappropriate specimen type
  • Incomplete or incorrect test request form
  • Insufficient volume
  • Specimen has leaked in transit
  • Specimen without a test order
Methodology
PCR Fragment Length Analysis
Performing Location
Genomics - Snowdrift
Description

Maternal cell contamination (MCC) occurs in procedures such as chorionic villus sampling, amniocentesis, or extraction of fetal blood from the umbilical cord when maternal tissue or blood is collected along with the fetal sample. The maternal fraction of a contaminated sample can be further increased by cell culture. Presence of maternal cell contamination poses a serious complication to molecular studies such as sequence analysis and copy number analysis and can lead to erroneous results.

Maternal and fetal genotypes are compared to determine the presence of non-inherited alleles in the fetal sample that would indicate maternal cell contamination. HNL Genomics highly recommends including a maternal sample for MCC studies with all prenatal tests.
Testing Schedule
Monday-Friday
The American Medical Association (AMA) Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes published by HNL Lab Medicine are guidelines and are intended for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the exclusive responsibility of the billing entity. View the Terms.
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