Abstract: A method of diagnosing Down's syndrome, the method comprising identifying a different expression pattern of at least one diagnostic marker in a blood, plasma or serum sample from a patient compared to the normal expression pattern of the marker.

Abstract: There is provided a method of isolating foetal cells from an isolated sample of maternal blood, the method comprising identifying cells having a different expression pattern of at least one foetal marker compared to the expression pattern of the marker in an equivalent maternal cell and selecting the identified cells, characterised in that the foetal marker is selected from: HSP-60, a monoamine oxidase, glutamine synthase, Ara-70, Ara-54, FLJ20202, DCN-I protein, RAB5A, HSP-7C, EF1A1, GRP78, MYL4, DnaJ homolog subfamily B member 14, Vinculin, Desmoplakin, AMMECR1-like protein, Extracellular matrix protein 2 precursor protein, uncharacterised protein Cxorf57, Peroxiredoxin 1, Peroxiredoxin 2. There is also provided a method of cultivating foetal cells and a foetal cell isolation kit.

Abstract: This invention relates to a series of PCR primers that will allow the simultaneous amplification of regions of the clinically significant ABO and RHD genes.