[Role of karyotype in studying male infertility]. / Place du caryotype dans l'exploration de l'infertilité masculine.

The karyotype of 443 infertile males has been studied (infertility of unknown etiology). The sample has been divided in 3 groups according to the data of their spermogram: Gr 1--101 males with a normal spermogramm (selected through the sterility of their couple). Gr 2--185 infertile males with oligospermy (less than 20 millions spermatozoal/ml). Gr 3--157 infertile males with azoospermia. This study shows: --No significant difference in chromosomal aberration rate between group 1 and general male population. --A rate of 5% chromosomal aberration in group 2 (versus 0.7% in normal male population p less than or equal to 10(-8], nearly exclusively balanced translocations. --A rate of 21% chromosomal aberration in group 3, nearly exclusively 47, XXY or 46, XX (p less than or equal to -9). The karyotype is unlikely to bring any information in infertile males with normal spermogram; on the contrary it is of valuable interest in infertile males with abnormal sperm.

[Reciprocal translocation at the origin of a Robertsonian translocation 15;22 by the loss of a metacentric chromosome. Genetic counseling]. / Translocation réciproque à l'origine d'une translocation Robertsonienne 15;22 par perte d'un chromosome métacentrique. Conseil génétique.

One of the children of a t(15;22) (q111;p11) woman has lost the minute metacentric der(15) without any clinical consequence, indicating the inocuity of the 15pter----q111 and 22pter----p11 monosomies. The segregation mechanism of this monosomy and, from this family, the relation between reciprocal translocations and Robertsonian translocations are discussed. Another subject with r(22) in the same family questions on an hypothetic common origin.

[Cytogenetic analysis of the Bloom syndrome. A study of the exchange-break relationship]. / Analyse cytogénétique du syndrome de Bloom. Etude de la relation échange-cassure.

Cytogenetic study of a case of Bloom's syndrome (number 46 of the international registry) confirms the excess of exchanges in all cellular types with the exception of a minority of lymphocytes and of two lymphoblastoid cell lines. These exchanges are produced in an X or U fashion between sister chromatids or between homologous chromatids and produce both simple and complex figures for which symmetry is the common feature. Some of these structures are rearranged secondarily, producing centric or acentric fragments and marker chromosomes. Triradial configurations are considered to be the result of exchanges rather than of partial endoreduplication. Chromatid and chromosome breaks are interpreted to result from incomplete exchanges. It is suggested that the general propensity for exchanges is the primary event responsible directly or indirectly for the cytogenetic observations rather than a defect in one of the DNA-repair mechanisms. No increase in mitomycin C sensitivity appears in vitro. The excess of SCEs is partially correlated by contact in vitro with normal cells and to a lesser degree by the culture medium in which the cells were grown.

[Small cell epithelioma in the Rhône-Alp region: changes in incidence between 1970 and 1980]. / L'épithélioma à petites cellules dans la région Rhônes-Alpes: variations de l'incidence entre 1970 et 1980.

4 856 cases of primary lung carcinoma in the Rhônes-Alpes area have been collected from 1970 to 1980 by cytological examination. The validity of these data rests upon the fact that they come from the same laboratory. The percentage of small cell carcinomas has been calculated per year and per geographical area. An increasing incidence is observed starting from 8% in 1973 and reaching 19% in 1980. These data are correlated with a review of the literature.

Cytological survey of bronchial brushings and aspirations performed during fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

In this series of 342 cases of bronchial carcinoma diagnosed by fiberoptic cytology (brushing and aspiration), comparison with the endoscopic findings gave the following results:--As regards primary carcinomas, 91 per cent of the cases in which the tumour was visible had a positive cytology when brushing was used and 84 per cent with aspiration. 79 per cent of the cases with no visible tumour but with suspicious changes of the bronchial wall had a positive cytology with brushing and 71 per cent with aspiration. When no abnormality could be seen by fiberoptics, positive cytologies dropped to 47 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.--In case of metastatic carcinoma the results are not as good. However, brushings gave 87 per cent positivity when the tumour was visible with the fibroscope and aspiration 75 per cent. Such cases are rather unfrequent unfortunately. Suspicious lesions at the fibroscope examination yielded respectively 68 and 64 per cent positivity. While in cases with no abnormality seen with the fibroscope brushings gave a 29 per cent positivity and aspirations a 25 per cent. No false positives were made. Correlation with histology and comparison with sputum cytology will be commented upon.

[Short and long term behaviour of pleural effusion cultures. (Report of 200 cases) (author's transl)]. / Comportement "in vitro" à court et a long terme de cultures d'épanchements pleuraux. A propos de 200 cas

Pleural effusions from 200 patients with benign or malignant pleural involvement have been cultured in vitro and observed from 48 hours to 9 months. The morphology and "social behavior" of the different types of cells are described. Mesothelial cells settle down quickly and come into contact with each other by long cytoplasmic processes. The tendency of epithelial malignant cells is to clump and grow in clusters. These "balls" of varying size are freed into the culture medium. Similar clusters may be found in benign effusions showing mesothelial hyperplasia. In case of malignant primary tumor of the pleura, the morphology of cultured cells is similar to that of mesothelial cells. In 3 cases, typical malignant epithelial cells have allowed us to discard the diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. Discrepancies between conventional cytology and cell culture were found in 13 cases: in 6 cases, positive for malignant cells using conventional cytology, cell culture was negative. In 7 cases with negative routine techniques, cell culture disclosed malignant cells. Large multinucleated syncytia were observed in 15 cultures. They suggest a cytopathic effect similar to that seen in myxovirus infected cells. Correlation with the etiology of pleural effusions in these cases is described.