Significance of assay of nucleated RBCs in umbilical cord blood in neonates with meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

BACKGROUND: Approximately 8-15% of all infants are born with evidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF). MSAF is a potentially serious sign of fetal compromise and may indicate fetal hypoxia Objectives and aim of the work: The present study was designed to evaluate the relationship between meconium stained amniotic fluid and fetal nucleated red blood cell counts. As well, we aim to evaluate the relationship between the presence of meconium in amniotic fluid and Apgar scores in neonates. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospectively case-controlled study was performed on 40 women with clear amniotic fluid as control and 40 women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid as the study group. At delivery, 2 ml of umbilical cord blood was collected and analyzed for nucleated red blood cell (NRBC). RESULTS: The mean NRBC counts in meconium-stained amniotic fluid was significantly higher than the control group (18.35 ± 7.7 and 9.6 ± 4.96), respectively (p < .001). There were statistically significant differences concerning 1- and 5-min Apgar scores with lower values in the MSAF group (p < .001 and .001, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our results support previous studies which indicate the presence of meconium can be associated with chronic fetal hypoxia as demonstrated by elevated fetal NRBC levels.

Management of a term parturient with tracheal stenosis.

We describe the management of a 37-week parturient with a breech singleton pregnancy presenting with progressive dyspnoea caused by tracheal stenosis. The patient underwent bronchoscopy using a flexible fibreoptic bronchoscope and dilatation of a stenosis using a balloon-tipped catheter. Subsequently, the patient had a normal delivery.

Benign hamartomatous polyp of the palatine tonsil.

A rare and possibly unique benign polypoid tumour of the palatine tonsil is described. It contained the two basic tissue types of the tonsil--lymphoid and epithelial--in the characteristic close anatomical relationship of tonsillar tissue. The features of this rare lesion lend support to the hypothesis that benign tumours of the tonsil may be hamartomas of tonsil or branchiogenic remnants rather than true neoplasms.

Autoradiographic analysis of age-dependent changes in serotonin 5-HT2 receptors of the human brain postmortem.

Autoradiographic analysis of 5-HT2 receptors in the human brain, using [3H]ketanserin as a ligand, reveals region-specific changes in receptor labeling as a function of age. In the prefrontal cortex and hippocampal dentate gyrus of 12 normal subjects, label density decreases sharply with age over the 2nd and 3rd decades, reaches a minimum around age 50 and then starts to increase again in the 6th and 7th decades. Other brain regions studied, including frontoparietal and temporal cortex, basal ganglia and thalamus, did not show significant changes with age. Saturation binding experiments on prefrontal cortical samples from 23 normal subjects reveal that the decrease in label density is due to changes in receptor density (Bmax) with no apparent change in affinity (Kd). Sex, presence of alcohol and postmortem delay had no effect on ketanserin binding.

Autoradiographic analysis of [3H]ketanserin binding in the human brain postmortem: effect of suicide.

In vitro quantitative autoradiography of 5-HT2 receptors, using [3H]ketanserin as a ligand, was performed on 24 human brains postmortem. Twelve brains were donated by suicide victims and 12 by matched controls. We found a characteristic decline in 5-HT2 receptors with age in several brain regions of the control group. This age dependence of ketanserin binding was not present in some of these brain regions of the suicide group. We also found a significant but anatomically selective reduction in the density of ketanserin binding sites in the young suicide group, compared to age-matched controls. This reduction was evident in portions of the prefrontal cortex. Homogenate binding assays on prefrontal cortex samples from a large group of suicides (n = 20) and controls (n = 23) showed that the difference in age dependence of ketanserin binding and the reduced binding in the young suicide group were explained by differences in Bmax values. No differences were observed in Kd. Sex, presence of alcohol and time from death to autopsy did not affect ketanserin binding, in our sample, as measured by either autoradiography or homogenate binding assay.