Parental Acceptance of Fetal Tissue Donation.

Importance: Human fetal tissue is essential for biomedical research, providing unparalleled insights into human development and disease.

Objective: To assess changes in parental decisions to donate fetal tissue following termination of pregnancy after the introduction of the Dutch Fetal Biobank (DFB) and to identify factors associated with consent to donate.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cohort study collected data from all individuals assigned female at birth (hereafter referred to as participants) who underwent a termination of pregnancy at the Amsterdam University Medical Center from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2022.

Ultra-high-field MRI of postmortem human fetal wrist joints: initial experience.

Background: This study aimed to assess the feasibility of postmortem ultra-high-field magnetic resonance imaging (UHF-MRI) to study fetal musculoskeletal anatomy and explore the contribution of variation in iodine and formaldehyde (paraformaldehyde, PFA) treatment of tissue.

Methods: Seven upper extremities from human fetuses with gestational ages of 19 to 24 weeks were included in this experimental study, approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee. The specimens were treated with various storage (0.

Disclosing quantitative RT-PCR raw data during manuscript submission: a call for action.

Accuracy and transparency of scientific data are becoming more and more relevant with the increasing concern regarding the evaluation of data reproducibility in many research areas. This concern is also true for quantifying coding and noncoding RNAs, with the remarkable increase in publications reporting RNA profiling and sequencing studies. To address the problem, we propose the following recommendations: (a) accurate documentation of experimental procedures in Materials and methods (and not only in the supplementary information, as many journals have a strict mandate for making Materials and methods as visible as possible in the main text); (b) submission of RT-qPCR raw data for all experiments reported; and (c) adoption of a unified, simple format for submitted RT-qPCR raw data.

Familial multiple discoid fibromas is linked to a locus on chromosome 5 including the FNIP1 gene.

Previously, we reported a series of families presenting with trichodiscomas, inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. The phenotype was named familial multiple discoid fibromas (FMDF). The genetic cause of FMDF remained unknown so far.

Microfocus computed tomography for fetal postmortem imaging: an overview.

Over the last few years, fetal postmortem microfocus computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging has increased in popularity for both diagnostic and research purposes. Micro-CT imaging could be a substitute for autopsy, particularly in very early gestation fetuses for whom autopsy can be technically challenging and is often unaccepted by parents. This article provides an overview of the latest research in fetal postmortem micro-CT imaging with a focus on diagnostic accuracy, endovascular staining approaches, placental studies and the reversibility of staining.

Imaging fetal anatomy.

Due to advancements in ultrasound techniques, the focus of antenatal ultrasound screening is moving towards the first trimester of pregnancy. The early first trimester however remains in part, a 'black box', due to the size of the developing embryo and the limitations of contemporary scanning techniques. Therefore there is a need for images of early anatomical developmental to improve our understanding of this area.

Web-based LinRegPCR: application for the visualization and analysis of (RT)-qPCR amplification and melting data.

Background: The analyses of amplification and melting curves have been shown to provide valuable information on the quality of the individual reactions in quantitative PCR (qPCR) experiments and to result in more reliable and reproducible quantitative results.

Implementation: The main steps in the amplification curve analysis are (1) a unique baseline subtraction, not using the ground phase cycles, (2) PCR efficiency determination from the exponential phase of the individual reactions, (3) setting a common quantification threshold and (4) calculation of the efficiency-corrected target quantity with the common threshold, efficiency per assay and C per reaction. The melting curve analysis encompasses smoothing of the observed fluorescence data, normalization to remove product-independent fluorescence loss, peak calling and assessment of the correct peak by comparing its melting temperature with the known melting temperature of the intended amplification product.

Use and Misuse of C in qPCR Data Analysis and Reporting.

In the analysis of quantitative PCR (qPCR) data, the quantification cycle (C) indicates the position of the amplification curve with respect to the cycle axis. Because C is directly related to the starting concentration of the target, and the difference in C values is related to the starting concentration ratio, the only results of qPCR analysis reported are often C, ΔC or ΔΔC values. However, reporting of C values ignores the fact that C values may differ between runs and machines, and, therefore, cannot be compared between laboratories.

Role of the Epicardium in the Development of the Atrioventricular Valves and Its Relevance to the Pathogenesis of Myxomatous Valve Disease.

This paper is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Adriana "Adri" Gittenberger-de Groot and in appreciation of her work in the field of developmental cardiovascular biology and the legacy that she has left behind. During her impressive career, Dr.

Early Postnatal Cardiac Stress Does Not Influence Ventricular Cardiomyocyte Cell-Cycle Withdrawal.

Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the most common birth defect. After birth, patients with CHD may suffer from cardiac stress resulting from abnormal loading conditions. However, it is not known how this cardiac burden influences postnatal development and adaptation of the ventricles.

Efficiency Correction Is Required for Accurate Quantitative PCR Analysis and Reporting.

Background: Quantitative PCR (qPCR) aims to measure the DNA or RNA concentration in diagnostic and biological samples based on the quantification cycle (Cq) value observed in the amplification curves. Results of qPCR experiments are regularly calculated as if all assays are 100% efficient or reported as just Cq, ΔCq, or ΔΔCq values.

Contents: When the reaction shows specific amplification, it should be deemed to be positive, regardless of the observed Cq.

Muscularization of the Mesenchymal Outlet Septum during Cardiac Development.

After the formation of the linear heart tube, it becomes divided into right and left components by the process of septation. Relatively late during this process, within the developing outflow tract, the initially mesenchymal outlet septum becomes muscularized as the result of myocardialization. Myocardialization is defined as the process in which existing cardiomyocytes migrate into flanking mesenchyme.

The Mesenchymal Cap of the Atrial Septum and Atrial and Atrioventricular Septation.

In this publication, dedicated to Professor Robert H. Anderson and his contributions to the field of cardiac development, anatomy, and congenital heart disease, we will review some of our earlier collaborative studies. The focus of this paper is on our work on the development of the atrioventricular mesenchymal complex, studies in which Professor Anderson has played a significant role.

Development of the human heart.

In 2014, an extensive review discussing the major steps of cardiac development focusing on growth, formation of primary and chamber myocardium and the development of the cardiac electrical system, was published. Molecular genetic lineage analyses have since furthered our insight in the developmental origin of the various component parts of the heart, which currently can be unambiguously identified by their unique molecular phenotype. Moreover, genetic, molecular and cell biological analyses have driven insights into the mechanisms underlying the development of the different cardiac components.

Removal of artifact bias from qPCR results using DNA melting curve analysis.

Quantitative PCR (qPCR) allows the precise measurement of DNA concentrations and is generally considered to be straightforward and trouble free. However, analyses using validated Sybr Green I-based assays regularly amplify both the correct product and an artifact. Amplification of more than 1 product can be recognized when melting curve analysis is performed after the qPCR.

Identifying pathogenic variants in the Follistatin-like 1 gene (FSTL1) in patients with skeletal and atrioventricular valve disorders.

Background: Follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1) is a glycoprotein expressed throughout embryonic development. Homozygous loss of Fstl1 in mice results in skeletal and respiratory defects, leading to neonatal death due to a collapse of the trachea. Furthermore, Fstl1 conditional deletion from the endocardial/endothelial lineage results in postnatal death due to heart failure and profound atrioventricular valve defects.

Considerations for Measurement of Embryonic Organ Growth.

Organogenesis is a complex coordinated process of cell proliferation, growth, migration, and apoptosis. Differential growth rates, particularly during cardiogenesis, play a role in establishing morphology. Studies using stereological and cell sorting methods derive averages of morphogenetic parameters for an organ.

Follistatin-like 1 in development and human diseases.

Follistatin-like 1 (FSTL1) is a secreted glycoprotein displaying expression changes during development and disease, among which cardiovascular disease, cancer, and arthritis. The cardioprotective role of FSTL1 has been intensively studied over the last years, though its mechanism of action remains elusive. FSTL1 is involved in multiple signaling pathways and biological processes, including vascularization and regulation of the immune response, a feature that complicates its study.

Deletion of Fstl1 (Follistatin-Like 1) From the Endocardial/Endothelial Lineage Causes Mitral Valve Disease.

Objective: Fstl1 (Follistatin-like 1) is a secreted protein that is expressed in the atrioventricular valves throughout embryonic development, postnatal maturation, and adulthood. In this study, we investigated the loss of Fstl1 in the endocardium/endothelium and their derived cells.

Approach And Results: We conditionally ablated Fstl1 from the endocardial lineage using a transgenic Tie2-Cre mouse model.

Endothelial follistatin-like-1 regulates the postnatal development of the pulmonary vasculature by modulating BMP/Smad signaling.

Bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling regulates vascular smooth muscle maturation, endothelial cell proliferation, and tube formation. The endogenous BMP antagonist Follistatin-like 1 (Fstl1) is highly expressed in pulmonary vascular endothelium of the developing mouse lung, suggesting a role in pulmonary vascular formation and vascular homeostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Fstl1 in the pulmonary vascular endothelium.

Reference genes for gene expression studies in the mouse heart.

To be accurate, quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qPCR) studies require a set of stable reference genes for normalization. This is especially critical in cardiac research because of the diversity of the clinical and experimental conditions in the field. We analyzed the stability of previously described as potential reference genes in different subsets of cardiac tissues, each representing a different field in cardiac research.

Removal of between-run variation in a multi-plate qPCR experiment.

Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is the method of choice in gene expression analysis. However, the number of groups or treatments, target genes and technical replicates quickly exceeds the capacity of a single run on a qPCR machine and the measurements have to be spread over more than 1 plate. Such multi-plate measurements often show similar proportional differences between experimental conditions, but different absolute values, even though the measurements were technically carried out with identical procedures.