Chromosome analysis of amniotic cell cultures was achieved in 29 out of 30 consecutive patients who were referred for genetic counselling during pregnancy. Amniocentesis was performed without any apparent untoward maternal or fetal complication. The only pregnancy terminated was that of a carrier of X-linked granulomatous disease, in whom the amniotic cells showed that the fetus was male and al...

PURPOSE To study the therapeutic potential of amniotic membrane transplantation in cases of severe acute chemical ocular burn and Stevens-Johnson syndrome. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the records of eight patients, with a total of ten eyes, submitted to amniotic membrane transplantation for treatment of ocular chemical burns and Stevens-Johnson syndrome in the acute phase between Janu...

Background: Quantitative fluorescence-polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) is an inexpensive and accurate method for the prenatal diagnosis of aneuploidies that applies short tandem repeats (STRs) as a chromosome-specific marker. Despite its apparent advantages, QF-PCR is not applicable in all cases due to the presence of uninformative STRs. This study was carried out to investigate the efficienc...

OBJECTIVE To ascertain the incidence, and describe the various forms of neural tube defects (NTDs) due to genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes. METHODS We carried out a retrospective analysis of data retrieved from the medical records of newborn infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with NTDs and their mothers spanning 14 years (1996-2009) at the Security Forces Hospital,...

AIM OF THE STUDY Biochemical diagnosis of fetuses with multiple malformations--an attempt to determine the frequency of prenatal Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. Discussion on trends in prenatal diagnosis of non-specific multiple malformations disorders. MATERIAL AND METHODS A total of 117 fetal samples were obtained. They were analyzed with gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method to a...

We examined whether the 33-kDa serine protease prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is present in amniotic fluid and, if so, whether its concentration changes with gestational age. Analyzing 115 amniotic fluids with a highly sensitive immunofluorometric procedure, we found PSA in all the amniotic fluids examined and established that its concentration increases with increasing gestational age from 11...

Our objective was to measure maternal plasma and amniotic fluid amino acid concentrations in pregnant women diagnosed as having fetuses with gastroschisis in the second trimester of pregnancy. Twenty-one pregnant women who had fetuses with gastroschisis detected by ultrasonography (gastroschisis group) in the second trimester and 32 women who had abnormal triple screenings indicating an increas...

INTRODUCTION Amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) has been used for a wide variety of ocular surface problems. Current techniques for the AMT involve suturing of the graft or patch over the ocular surface or use of fibrin glue. OBJECTIVE To describe a new sutureless technique of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) without the use of sutures/fibrin glue. MATERIALS AND METHODS Amniotic...

OBJECTIVE Microbial invasion of the fetus due to intra-amniotic infection can lead to a systemic inflammatory response characterized by elevated concentrations of cytokines in the umbilical cord plasma/serum. Clinical chorioamnionitis represents the maternal syndrome often associated with intra-amniotic infection, although other causes of this syndrome have been recently described. The objectiv...

OBJECTIVE Neonates born to mothers with clinical chorioamnionitis at term are at an increased risk of infection. Acute subchorionitis, chorioamnionitis, and funisitis are considered placental histologic features consistent with acute inflammation according to the Society for Pediatric Pathology. The objectives of this study were to examine the performance of placental histologic features in the...