Month-of-birth distribution of diabetics and ovopathy: a new aetiological view.

In a pilot study, on a hospital-based series consisting of 285 type 1 and 282 type 2 patients with Diabetes Mellitus (DM) we compared the month-of-birth with the standard birth curve. In accordance with a previous investigation on 23,620 diabetics in the Netherlands, we found an excess of DM births in the first quarter of the year (p less than 0.005) and a deficiency of them during the last one. This excess corresponds with conceptions during the spring restoration of the ovulatory pattern, this deficiency with conceptions during its winter stabilization. Identical peaks and troughs have been found in month-of-birth studies of individuals with chromosomal anomalies and with anencephaly. Similarly, ovopathy--which we consider a common cause for multiple anomalies--can explain the high incidence of DM in Down's syndrome as well as in other chromosomal aberrations, and its association with unusual dermatoglyphics. Furthermore, the ovopathy concept appears in line with the consistently found maternal age and parity effect, the discordancy in one-egg twins and the distortion of HLA-DR phenotype distribution in IDDM multiplex families. Although our conclusions must be guarded because of sample bias and doubts concerning precise classification, we found that the configurations were stronger in the type 2 DM sample. Ovopathy might prove to be the crucial environmental factor in the causation of IDDM--searched for by many scholars--and a common cause for both types. The HLA-DR haplotypes might rather be the "trigger", influencing the course and type of the disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Goldenhar syndrome and overlapping dysplasias, in vitro fertilisation and ovopathy.

In contrast to the opinion of Yovich et al, who documented Goldenhar syndrome in one of possibly monozygous twin brothers conceived by in vitro fertilisation and embryo transfer, I suggest that ovopathy is the cause of this anomaly. The eight criteria which have to be met before a condition can be said to be caused by overripeness ovopathy are shown to be satisfied. My conclusion remains that, in general, sporadically occurring Goldenhar variants, as distinct from familial cases, should be considered to be just casualities in the broad 'continuum of reproductive wastage' seen in high risk conceptions, one of which is IVF. This concept increases our understanding of human variation not satisfactorily explained by Mendelian inheritance.

Rate of gonadotrophin-induced abnormalities in mouse ova is related to the site of hormone administration.

Adult female mice, regardless of the stage of the oestrous cycle, were superovulated with PMSG and hCG. Ovulated oocytes were recovered 20-22 h after hCG and fertilized ova 72-74 h after hCG. Compared with the controls, the gonadotrophin treatment increased the mating rate of the females, and the incidence of abnormal ova. Regardless of the site of gonadotrophin injections, the numbers of ova were equal, but the proportion of abnormal eggs in mice injected intraperitoneally was significantly higher than in mice injected subcutaneously.

A recessive mutation (ter) causing germ cell deficiency and a high incidence of congenital testicular teratomas in 129/Sv-ter mice.

The genetic basis of a germ cell deficiency, accompanied by a high incidence of testicular teratomas, was studied in strain 129/Sv-ter mice (formerly designated "129/terSv"). Germ cell deficiency became more severe with advancing age in males, and they were sterile whether or not they had bilateral teratomas. Germ cell-deficient testes were smaller than normal except when the testes had teratomas. In females the ovaries were smaller than normal, but the germ cell deficiency did not progress and most were fertile. The germ cell deficiency resulted from the homozygous state of a recessive mutant gene designated "teratoma (ter)." Matings between females with small ovaries and homozygous normal males produced no germ cell-deficient offspring. When F1 offspring with normal gonads were mated together, germ cell-deficient F2 animals appeared at a frequency close to 1 in 4. When females with small ovaries (ter/ter) were mated with heterozygous males (ter/+), half of the offspring were germ cell deficient. It was concluded that the genetic factor is a single recessive gene. The incidence of teratomas in +/+ strain 129/Sv-ter males was 1.4% (3/216), and all teratomas were unilateral. Seventeen percent (20/117) of heterozygous males had teratomas, of which 18 were unilateral and 2 were bilateral. Ninety-four percent (167/178) of homozygous ter/ter males had teratomas, of which 75% were bilateral. Introduction of the mutant gene ter onto the C57BL/6 genetic background resulted in germ cell deficiency in homozygotes, but it reduced considerably the teratoma incidence in ter/ter males.

Discordant human chorionic gonadotropin results: causes and solutions.

This study was performed to demonstrate the phenomenon of discordant human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) results, in which some serum specimens are positive in one hCG detection procedure but negative in another procedure. Nine different quantitative hCG procedures were used to document discordant hCG results in 22 cases. A two-site monoclonal antibody immunoradiometric assay had the least tendency to give aberrant low-positive hCG values in nonpregnant patients without neoplasms. Potential causes of discordant hCG results are discussed, and guidelines for dealing with them are suggested. Recommended approaches include analysis in an alternate hCG detection procedure that uses a different technology for collection of antigen-antibody complex, dilution analysis, and sequential hCG analysis.

Evidence for repair in trypan blue-treated mouse egg cylinders: an electron microscopic study.

The question of whether mammalian fetuses can correct damage induced by teratogens during early stages of embryogenesis was reinvestigated. Toward this purpose female mice were injected on day 6 of gestation with the teratogenic dye trypan blue. Within 6, 24, and 48 hr of exposure to the teratogen, egg cylinders were removed, sectioned, and prepared for electron microscopic analysis. The following organelles were examined: 1) mitochondria, 2) Golgi apparatus, 3) endoplasmic reticulum, and 4) free polysomes. On the ultrastructural level, exposure to trypan blue lead within 6 hr to fragmentation of the endoplasmic reticulum and a depletion of free polysomes in the endoderm of the egg cylinders. In ectodermal cells only the distribution of polysomes was disturbed following exposure to trypan blue. Egg cylinders harvested 24 hr after injection of trypan blue had partially recovered. Their endoplasmic reticulum and polysomes appeared closer to controls. The cells of both germ layers of most egg cylinders obtained 48 hr after injection were indistinguishable from controls when viewed with the electron microscope. No consistent changes were found in mitochondria or Golgi apparatus following trypan blue treatment. It is concluded that mouse embryos appear to be able to correct damage sustained during the egg cylinder stage, and that in spite of earlier injury affecting both germ layers such egg cylinders can develop normally as revealed by microscopic examination.

Serum progesterone, enzymes, and electrolytes of hens laying a low or high incidence of shell-less eggs.

Three experiments were conducted to determine possible differences in serum progesterone, enzymes, and electrolytes between hens laying a high or low incidence of shell-less (SL) eggs. Blood was taken at time of oviposition and at 6, 12, 18, and 25 hr later, irrespective of the stage of the sequence. The results indicated no significant differences in average serum progesterone between hens laying a high or low incidence of SL eggs. In general, the patterns of serum progesterone in relation to time of oviposition was similar for each type. No significant differences were observed in serum phosphorus, magnesium, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, or alkaline phosphatase between hens laying a high or low incidence of SL eggs. It was concluded that the production of SL eggs is not related to abnormal serum progesterone, alkaline phosphatase, glutamate pyruvate transaminase, magnesium, or phosphorus levels.

[Operculated eggs of Platyhelminths: description of atypias and attempted explanation of their genesis]. / Les (eufs operculés de Plathelminthes: descriptions d'atypies et essais d'explication de leur genèse.

The authors remind the formation of operculated eggs. Atypical eggs of Clonorchis sinensis, Fasciola hepatica and Diphyllobothrium latum are described: no operculum for the two first species and existence of non-described buttons for the two last species. These anomalies could be explained by the way of formation of these eggs.

Plasma hCG and ultrasound in suspected ectopic pregnancy.

The value of plasma hCG determinations (based on the recognition of beta-subunit of hCG) and ultrasound was examined in 48 cases of suspected ectopic pregnancy. In 11 patients with the final diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy (23%), the plasma hCG was clearly subnormal (0.37-3.96 IU/ml), with only one exception, where a normally developed fetus was operated from the fallopian tube (hCG 21.1 IU/ml in the 8th wk). The plasma hCG lvels allowed differentiation of the non-pregnant cases from the normal intrauterine pregnancies and the ectopic cases, but not ata all between the different forms of intrauterine early pregnancy failures and ectopic pregnancies. By ultrasound, however, it was possible to reliably diagnose intrauterine pregnancies from the 7th wk of amenorrhea onwards, and to classify them into the normal and pathological subgroups. The direct demonstration of ectopic pregnancy by ultrasound is problematic, but the exclusion of intrauterine pregnancy by this method, combined with the simultaneous plasma hCG determination by sensitive and rapid method, can be recommended for primary examinations in suspected ectopic pregnancy.