Prenatal diagnosis of dilated coronary sinus with persistent left superior vena cava in a fetus with trisomy 18

A case of dilated coronary sinus with persistent left superior vena cava diagnosed at 33 weeks in a fetus with trisomy 18 is reported. The features of this cardiac anomaly on prenatal ultrasonography and its association with trisomy 18 are discussed. Published in 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

高通量测序技术研究辽河真核浮游藻类的群落结构特征

真核浮游藻类在河流生态系统中发挥着重要生态功能,本研究对辽河水环境样本的18S rRNA基因的V4可变区进行454焦磷酸测序,对获得的OTU代表性序列进行物种注释.比较注释后的生物种类信息与光学显微镜观察结果的异同,并将OTUs的代表性序列与NCBI中真核浮游藻类的18S rRNA基因序列进行系统发育分析,此外研究了真核浮游藻类群落结构特征及其环境影响指标.研究共获得约167 901条18S rRNA基因V4可变区的高质量序列,注释为424个OTUs,涵盖了134种真核浮游藻类OTUs.与光学显微镜鉴别结果类似,高通量测序结果以硅藻门和绿藻门为优势类群,此外检测到轮藻门、隐藻门、定鞭藻门和金藻纲等显微镜观察结果中未有的类群.系统发育分析可在门这一分类阶元对隐藻门和甲藻门聚类,并将隐藻门在属水平进行聚类和区分,甲藻门可以在部分科或属水平聚类和区分.RDA结果显示,氨氮、活性磷和硝态氮是影响真核浮游藻类群落结构特征最重要的环境因子.本研究为认识辽河水环境中真核浮游藻类的多样性、群落结构及其环境影响因子提供了新的视角,同时也预示着高通量测序技术在辽河流域浮游植物监测和水环境质量指示中的应用潜力.     

The spontaneous resolution of cystic hygromas and early fetal growth delay in fetuses with trisomy 18

The spontaneous resolution of cystic hygromas in fetuses with trisomy 18 may be due to a delay in lymphatic-vascular anastomosis. The severity of growth delay with trisomy 18 appears to be variable in time of onset and extent.     

Prospective intervention trial of a screening protocol to identify fetal trisomy 18 using maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein,unconjugated oestriol,and human chorionic gonadotropin

Two prenatal centres in New England, routinely using a screening protocol for fetal Down syndrome that included maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), unconjugated oestriol (uE3), and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) measurements in combination with maternal age, adopted a separate screening protocol for trisomy 18. That protocol identified a pregnancy as being at high risk when AFP, uE3, and hCG measurements all fell at or below specified cut-offs (0.75, 0.60, and 0.55 multiples of the median, respectively), regardless of maternal age. Among the first 19 491 women screened, 98 (0.5 per cent) were found to have values which placed them in the high-risk category. Four of these women were subsequently found not to be pregnant. In two others, samples from non-pregnant individuals were found to have been incorrectly submitted for analysis in place of the samples from the pregnant women. All of the remaining 92 women were counselled and offered amniocentesis and fetal karyotyping. Eighty-eight (96 per cent) accepted. Karyotypes or birth outcomes were available on all 92 pregnancies. Six cases of trisomy 18 and one case of Turner syndrome were identified by karyotype. One case of trisomy 18 was identified for every 14 unaffected pregnancies offered amniocentesis. In the present prospective study, an estimated 85 per cent of the cases of trisomy 18 were identified. However, given the small number ofcases (six), the 95 per cent confidence interval for the detection rate is broad (40–95 per cent).