Aneuploidy in recurrent spontaneous aborters: the tendency to parental nondisjunction |
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Authors: | Frederick Hecht Barbara K Hecht Carol S Berger |
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Institution: | The Genetics Center of Southwest Biomedical Research Institute, Tempe, Arizona, U.S.A |
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Abstract: | To test the hypothesis that parental aneuploidy, particularly involving sex chromosomes, indicates an increased risk of meiotic nondisjunction, we analyzed chromosome numbers from 283 parents who had had 2 or more spontaneous abortions and, if they had children, no abnormal offspring. A sample of 15 lymphocyte metaphases was examined per individual for a total of 4,245 metaphases. Two or more cells with the same abnormal chromosome complement were found in 19 individuals: 4 males with a minor number of 45, X cells and 15 females with minor numbers of 45, X and/or 47, XXX cells (p< 0.001). The most logical explanation is that mitosis may, in part, reflect meiosis. This group of parents appears predisposed to chromosome errors in meiosis leading to recurrent spontaneous abortion. |
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Keywords: | Abortions aneuploidy nondisjunction sex chromosomes X chromosome Y chromosome |
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