Origin of raised maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein levels in second-trimester oligohydramnios

Concanavalin A (Con A) subtyping of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) revealed higher concentrations of AFP non-reactive with Con A in sera of 12 pregnant women with second-trimester oligohydramnios and raised total serum AFP levels than in sera of 42 pregnant women with raised total serum AFP levels and a normal amniotic fluid volume. This suggests that in oligohydramnios the origin of excess AFP in the maternal compartment is amniotic fluid. It is proposed that oligohydramnios and the associated raised maternal serum AFP levels are caused by damage of the fetal membranes prior to 16 weeks of gestation resulting in leakage of amniotic fluid to the decidual tissue and resorption in the maternal circulation.     

Use of the chemical cleavage of mismatch method for prenatal deficiency diagnosis of alpha-1-antitrypsin

The most common mutation in alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency, conversion of a G to an A at base 9989 (PI-Z), was detected with the chemical cleavage of mismatch method, demonstrating the power of the method for prenatal diagnosis. Exon V of the gene was amplified using the polymerase chain reaction and heteroduplexes were formed to test for the presence of the mutation. The predicted C mismatch was readily detectable with hydroxylamine, and by making the probe from the chorionic villus sample it was possible to determine that the fetus was heterozygous, not homozygous, for the mutation.     

国产十种合成洗衣粉诱发华西大蟾蜍(Bufo bufo andrewsi)蝌蚪红细胞微核的研究

研究了国产10种洗衣粉对华西大蟾蜍(Bufo bufo andrewsi)蝌蚪红细胞微核的诱变,结果表明“活力28超浓缩无泡加香”洗衣粉,“TM”及“SD”洗衣粉(1.2,6.0及12.0ppm)诱发蝌蚪微核率增高。在我们实验条件下,另外7种合成洗衣粉中的5种在12.0ppm浓度组也引起微核率升高。