ABSTRACT
A patient at her 38+ wks of pregnancy as a ultrasonographically diagnosed case of conjoined twin admitted in our department with ruptured membrane. Two live female babies joined at the chest were delivered by caesarean section. The parents refused a separation operation and the mother and the babies were discharged from hospital at 6th post natal day. A review of the literature suggests that early diagnosis by a combination of ultrasound and MRI is essential for management as it provides prognosis for viability and process of surgical separation and also the opportunity for early counseling of parents and termination if indicated.
ABSTRACT
The subunits of human placental milli calcium activated neutral proteinase and micro calcium activated neutral proteinase have been separated by partial denaturation with urea followed by molecular sieving, with a recovery of 82–91% of activity. The separated subunits were homogeneous, as judged by sodium dodecyl sulphatepolyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Their molecular sizes, catalytic activities and sulphydryl contents suggest that both the subunits of these two calcium activated neutral proteinases are distinct. The subunits were highly specific and could not be interchanged. Both the subunits of micro calcium activated neutral proteinase were catalytically active whereas only the 80 k subunit of milli calcium activated neutral proteinase was active. 30 k subunit of milli calcium activated neutral proteinase has a regulatory role since maximum activity of the 80 k subunit was elicited only in its presence. Activity of the reassociated subunits indicated that interaction is essential for the expression of optimum activity. Interaction of subunits rendered the enzymes less susceptible to inhibition by endogenous calcium activated neutral proteinase inhibitor.