Canadian Cytogenetic Emergency network (CEN) for biological dosimetry following radiological/nuclear accidents.

Purpose: To test the ability of the cytogenetic emergency network (CEN) of laboratories, currently under development across Canada, to provide rapid biological dosimetry using the dicentric assay for triage assessment, that could be implemented in the event of a large-scale radiation/nuclear emergency.

Materials And Methods: A workshop was held in May 2004 in Toronto, Canada, to introduce the concept of CEN and recruit clinical cytogenetic laboratories at hospitals across the country. Slides were prepared for dicentric assay analysis following in vitro irradiation of blood to a range of gamma-ray doses.

Prenatal cytogenetic assessment and inv(2)(p11.2q13).

Objectives: To present a series of prenatally detected cases of recurrent pericentric inversions with euchromatic breakpoints and to review the literature to determine whether parental karyotyping is required for genetic counselling.

Methods: Cases of recurrent pericentric inversions with euchromatic breakpoints were collected from Canadian Cytogenetic Laboratories. Cases included inversions for chromosome 1(p13q21), chromosome 2(p11.