Successful fetal therapy for cystic adenomatoid malformation associated with second-trimester hydrops

Fetal hydrops secondary to cystic adenomatoid malformation was detected in a second-trimester fetus. In utero thoraco-amniotic shunt placement resulted in resolution of the hydrops. At term, there was no evidence of pulmonary hypoplasia.     

Family member cancer prevalence reported by university students taking a cancer prevention course

Genealogical health histories were studied to determine the prevalence of family cancer in students taking an Ohio State University (OSU) cancer prevention/education class. One hundred twenty students enrolled in the spring 1987 Health Education class, "How to Avoid Dying from Cancer . . . Now and Later" reported a positive family cancer history. Survey forms indicating a cancer history were selected for use in this study. Cancer incidence and total cancer deaths were calculated for male and female populations. Male cancer incidence reported for fathers was 12%, paternal grandfathers 27%, and maternal grandfathers 25%. Female cancer incidence rates were lower than those reported in the male population. Cancer occurrences include 16%, 11%, and 21%, for mother, paternal grandmother, and maternal grandmother, respectively. In the study population, male (33%) and female (28%) cancer mortalities were reported as the leading cause of death. Frequent occurrences of skin and gastrointestinal cancer in males and breast cancer in females were noted. Family experiences with cancer are believed to stimulate student enrollment in OSU's cancer prevention program. Class promotion and design will be restructured to reflect the significance of a family cancer history. We believe this will provide a more effective means of generating the student's motivation to adopt cancer prevention activities.     

Formaldehyde in cryoprotectant propanediol and effect on mouse zygotes

Cryopreservation of human zygotes and embryos has been routinely performed by in-vitro fertilization clinics for many years. Karran and Legge (1996) first reported that formaldehyde (FA) present in the cryoprotective solutions can have a deleterious effect on mouse oocytes. FA is a cytotoxic, carcinogenic and mutagenic chemical. The effect of FA on mouse zygotes was investigated. In addition, the concentrations of FA in propanediol (PROH) obtained from various sources were determined. Pooled 1-cell embryos were dispensed into droplets of modified Ham's F10 or human tubal fluid containing various concentrations of FA. Since bovine serum albumin (BSA) may minimize toxicity additional trials were done as above in the absence of BSA. FA concentration in the standard 1.5 M PROH, from different sources in water, was measured in the same assay using a standard curve of 0-100 microM FA. FA in a complex medium had a significant deleterious effect on embryo development and hatching but only at 1 mM concentration (P < 0.000001; see Tables I-III). There was no significant effect of FA at 100 microM. However, in a simple medium even 50 microM FA decreased embryo hatching. FA was present in 1.5 M PROH from different sources (range 1.0-35.3 microM concentration). It appears that FA concentrations do not increase with storage because FA concentrations were low even after opening and storage for 3 years on the shelf. This suggests that FA is a contaminant during the manufacturing process and may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and batch to batch. Until further studies are done to confirm the lack of toxicity to embryos during cryopreservation (with or without FA scavengers) it may be prudent to screen all batches of cryoprotectants for FA as part of quality control.      

Intermediate filament expression by normal and diseased human corneal epithelium

Cicatricial conjunctivitis may be a sequel to systemic disorders (eg, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, cicatricial pemphigoid) or local disorders such as chemical burns. The cicatrisation is often associated with corneal epithelial changes that cause visual loss. These have been attributed to encroachment of the conjunctival epithelium over the cornea. However, the epithelial anomalies are poorly understood. We investigated the corneal epithelial changes in cicatricial conjunctivitis with an immunohistochemical study of intermediate filaments in normal and pathological specimens. Our results show that the normal corneal epithelium is immunoreactive for cytokeratin 3 (CK 3) but not cytokeratin 19 (CK 19), whereas normal conjunctival epithelium is CK 3 negative and CK 19 positive. Conjunctiva artificially transposed over the cornea (after therapeutic conjunctival flap reconstruction) retained the normal pattern of conjunctival cytokeratin expression (CK 3 negative, CK 19 positive). Conversely, the entire corneal epithelium exhibited the normal cytokeratin pattern (CK 3 positive, CK 19 negative) in 82% of Stevens-Johnson, 80% of cicatricial pemphigoid, and 69% of chemical burns specimens. The findings suggest that conjunctival encroachment is not responsible for the changes at the corneal surface in cicatricial conjunctivitis and that the abnormal corneal epithelium is derived from native corneal cells in these diseases.