Establishing genetic relationship between a surrogate mother and a child using histological placental blocks: a series of case reports

Assisted reproductive technologies are now widely available, and the demand for this type of medical service is growing, necessitating legal control in compliance with the legislation of the Russian Federation.

This publication was prompted by criminal investigations conducted by the Investigative Committee of Russia, which commissioned expert examinations to determine the genetic relationship between a surrogate mother and the child she delivered. The article presents a novel methodology for effectively addressing challenging forensic tasks related to determining a newborn’s biological origin.

Three expert examinations used paraffin-embedded blocks and histological sections of placental tissue, along with reference samples of buccal epithelial cells and blood. Microscopic examination of the histological sections was performed to identify placental components.

Molecular genetic techniques were used to identify maternal and fetal DNA in the provided biological samples, as well as for comparative analysis. These included DNA extraction and quantification, real-time polymerase chain reaction, electrophoretic separation of amplification products, and subsequent analysis.

The examinations made it possible to localize and label the maternal and fetal parts of the placenta within the histological blocks. The children’s blood samples and the surrogate mothers’ buccal epithelial cells were genotyped, and genetic profiles of the labeled samples were determined.

In one of the three cases studied, a comparison of the obtained genotypes revealed a discrepancy between the genetic profiles of the child’s blood and the fetal part of the placenta. In the other two cases, the genetic profiles were confirmed to be identical.

This observation underscores the importance of utilizing placental tissue to avoid erroneous conclusions when establishing maternity in cases involving surrogate mothers. This approach allows the experts to confirm that a specific infant was actually born by the surrogate mother in question.