FISH studies in 45 patients with Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome: deletions associated with polysplenia, hypoplastic left heart and death in infancy.

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) is a dominant Mendelian disorder characterised by mental retardation, a typical facies, broad thumbs and short stature. Previous reports indicated that 4-25% of RTS patients have a submicroscopic 16p13.3 deletion of the CBP gene.

A novel mutation (a886g) in exon 5 of FGFR2 in members of a family with Crouzon phenotype and plagiocephaly.

We identified a novel mutation in members of a family with signs of Crouzon syndrome and plagiocephaly. In affected members of the family an A-->G transition was found at position 886 in exon 5 of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) gene. The base change results in the replacement of a lysine by glutamic acid in Ig-like loop III of FGFR2.

Cytogenetic survey of 32 cancers of the prostate.

Cytogenetic studies after short-term culture were performed on 32 adenocarcinomas of the prostate from patients without prior treatment. The tumor specimens, ranging from stage B1 to D1, were obtained by radical prostatectomy or diagnostic biopsies. Fourteen tumors showed a normal diploid chromosome complement in all metaphases examined.

The fragile-X phenotype. Computer assisted analysis of the dysmorphological features and discrimination from the Sotos phenotype.

Fragile-X and Sotos phenotypes may be difficult to distinguish. This is illustrated with a case report. Computer assisted phenotype analyses (MDDB), using the complete trait list of this patient, suggested the fragile-X diagnosis, which later was confirmed by molecular techniques.

Multipoint linkage mapping of the Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy gene.

The clinical features to establish the diagnosis of X-linked Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy (EMD) were recently redefined at the European EMD workshop in Baarn 1991. These criteria were used to select families from the literature and two new families for linkage analysis with the DNA markers F9, DX52, DXS15, F8C and DXS115. Recombinations are observed with the DNA markers F9, DXS52 and DXS15.

Tuberous sclerosis in a child with de novo translocation t(3;12) (p26.3;q23.3).

We report on an 8-year-old boy with severe mental retardation, epileptic seizures, autistic behaviour, and X-ray CT findings of the skull characteristics for tuberous sclerosis. At the age of 9 years, first signs of adenoma sebaceum developed. Chromosomal analysis revealed a translocation t(3;12)(p26.

SCE frequency and lymphocyte proliferation in a Down's syndrome mosaic developing an acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

Sister chromatid exchange and cell proliferation time were examined by differential chromatid staining in a Down's syndrome, mosaic case suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The SCE frequency in stimulated blood lymphocytes had already increased before treatment was started. The therapy was correlated with a further SCE increase in the trisomic cells but not in the normal ones.

Clonal analysis of diversity in the BSp73 rat tumor.

By implantation of BSp73 ascites cells in a subcutaneous site and subsequent subcutaneous passage of either the local tumor node or metastatic lung tissue, variants were obtained which differed with respect to morphology and to metastatic capacity. The highly metastasizing variant ASML showed spherical morphology in culture, while the nonmetastatic variant AS showed adhesion and spreading. Upon cloning it was observed that colonies with fully expressed morphotypes were readily obtained from solid tissue of both variants.

Sister chromatid exchange and lymphocyte proliferation in a Down syndrome mosaic.

The number of SCE was compared in the normal and trisomic cell lines of a trisomy 21 mosaic case. It was found that in the trisomic cells the SCE-frequency was twice as high as in the normal cells. The mitoses with high numbers of SCE (above 10) were increased 4-5 fold.