Maternal hair zinc concentration in neural tube defects in Turkey.

Hair zinc concentration was measured in samples taken from 57 mothers who delivered infants with neural tube defects (NTD) (mainly anencephaly). Control groups consisted of 30 healthy mothers with normal offspring and 37 nonpregnant women from middle-income backgrounds. Zinc concentration was also measured in the hair of eight infants with NTD (four being anencephalic).

Effect of zinc supplementation in a Turkish woman with two previous anencephalic infants.

The authors report a case of nutritional zinc deficiency in a young (18-year-old) Turkish woman, who previously delivered 2 anencephalic stillborn infants. The patient was supplemented with 22.5 mg oral zinc sulfate (100 mg ZnSO4.

High risk subgroup of acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML) with orbito-ocular granulocytic sarcoma (OOGS) in Turkish children. Retrospective analysis of clinical, hematological, ultrastructural and therapeutical findings of thirty-three OOGS.

Thirty-three patients presenting with orbito-ocular granulocytic sarcoma (OOGS) and acute myelomonocytic leukemia (AMML) were diagnosed in Turkish children from 1963 to 1983. OOGS, characterized by exophthalmos, chemosis and orbital masses, was observed in 33 (27.2%) of 121 AML patients compared with 41 children of AMML without ophthalmic tumors during the same period.

Zinc status in pregnancy and the occurrence of anencephaly in Turkey.

Serum and hair zinc concentrations were measured in samples taken from 29 mothers with neural tube defects (NTD) (mainly anencephaly) at delivery. The control group consisted of 20 healthy mothers with normal offspring and 40 nonpregnant women 18 to 34 years of age, from middle income backgrounds. The mean maternal serum and hair zinc concentrations in the NTD group were lower than those of control mothers and the nonpregnant women.

Effects of zinc supplementation on linear growth in beta-thalassemia (a new approach).

Linear growth was evaluated in 32 patients with beta-thalassemia major. At the beginning of the study of 40.6% of the patients were below the 10th percentile with biochemical evidence of zinc deficiency.

Zinc and anergy in pediatric Hodgkin's disease in Turkey.

Blood (serum, erythrocytes) and hair zinc levels were determined in 60 biopsy-proven pediatric Hodgkin's disease cases at diagnosis. Cellular immunity also was assessed through total lymphocyte counts, E-rosette formation, lymphoproliferative response (LP), and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity tests to dinitrochlorobenzene, streptokinase-streptodornase, purified protein derivative and phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in some of these patients. Interestingly, anergic patients unresponsive to four antigens showed significantly more depressed serum zinc levels as well as decreased lymphoproliferative response to mitogen (PHA).

Synthesis and secretion of the human vitamin B12-binding protein, transcobalamin II, by cultured skin fibroblasts and by bone marrow cells.

Human skin fibroblasts and bone marrow cells were tested for their ability to synthesize the cobalamin-binding protein transcobalamin II. Cobalamin binders secreted in the media of cultured fibroblasts and of dextran-sedimented bone marrow cells in liquid culture could be identified as transcobalamin II on the basis of immunological, electrophoretical and chromatographical identity with serum transcobalamin II. The net secretion of transcobalamin II increased linearly with time of culture, up to 30 days after confluence.

Isolation of granulocytes and labelling with indium 111-oxine sulphate.

The isolation of granulocytes from whole blood and labelling with Indium 111-oxine sulphate are described in detail. To isolate the cells a two-step method was used: (1) removal of the red blood cells by methyl cellulose-Ronpacon and (2) separation of the leucocyte-rich plasma with a double gradient (1077, 1097) technique. 111In-oxine sulphate was prepared by adding 111In-chloride to a buffered solution of oxine sulphate.

Effect of human serum thymic factor on immature T lymphocytes in acute leukemia and other hematologic malignancies.

In 37 patients with acute leukemia and in 13 patients with other hematologic malignancies, E-rosette formation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells, before and after incubation with human serum thymic factor, was studied. This assay showed that incubation with thymic factor caused a clear-cut increase of E-rosette-forming cells in 8 of the 37 acute leukemia patients. Among the 13 patients with other hematologic malignancies, a similar effect was observed in two with pediatric Hodgkin's disease and in one adult with Waldenström's macroglobulinemia.

Hair zinc levels in healthy and malnourished children.

In this study the hair zinc levels of 115 healthy subjects, 50 girls and 65 boys, between the age groups 0 to 15 years were determined by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The hair zinc levels obtained generally agree with those reported in the literature. The hair zinc levels of the subjects were studied as a function of age, sex and color of hair.

Ultrastructural studies on AMML and ocular granulocytic sarcoma.

The ultrastructural analysis of the leukemic cells in twelve cases with AMML was considered a valuable tool in the diagnosis of this type of leukemia. Furthermore intracytoplasmic structure resembling virus like particles were observed in three bone marrow and one eye sample of the patients studied. The role of C-type RNA viruses in the etiology of leukemia was discussed.

Hodgkin's disease in Turkish children: a clinical and histopathologic analysis.

Fifty-one cases of Hodgkin's disease in Turkish children under 15 years of age were clinically analyzed, and 40 cases were evaluated histopathologically according to the Rye Conference classification. Complete clinical, laboratory, and radiologic findings for each patient were examined. Most patients were of low socioeconomic class, and nearly all were Caucasian.