Outcomes of patients with prenatally diagnosed agenesis of the corpus callosum in conjunction with ventriculomegaly.

Purpose: We evaluated the postnatal outcomes of patients with prenatally diagnosed agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC), in conjunction with ventriculomegaly, as a tool for parental counseling.

Materials And Methods: Through a retrospective review of maternal and infant records, we evaluated the postnatal outcomes of 21 patients with prenatally diagnosed ACC and fetal ventriculomegaly.

Results: Ten of the 21 patients (48 %) were diagnosed with isolated ACC.

[Group A streptococcus-induced toxic shock syndrome in pregnancy: a case report of cesarean section].

Group A streptococcus (GAS)-induced toxic shock syndrome (TSS) in pregnancy is rare, but its clinical course is fulminant. The mortality rates of mother and fetus are reported to be 58 and 66%, respectively. We report a case of GAS-TSS after cesarean section.

Discordance in Pena-Shokeir phenotype/fetal akinesia deformation sequence in a monoamniotic twin.

We here report the first case of discordant Pena-Shokeir phenotype observed in monoamniotic twins. A 34-year-old woman, pregnant with twins, was referred at 10 weeks' gestation because one of the twins had increased nuchal translucency. Serial ultrasonographic examinations suggested that twin A may have had several other abnormalities, including pleural effusion at 21 weeks' gestation, decreased movement and contracted limbs at 24 weeks, and fetal growth restriction at 26 weeks.

Complete restoration of phenylalanine oxidation in phenylketonuria mouse by a self-complementary adeno-associated virus vector.

Background: Classical phenylketonuria (PKU) arises from a deficiency of phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) that catalyses phenylalanine oxidation in the liver. Lack of PAH activity causes massive hyperphenylalaninemia and consequently severe brain damage. Preclinical studies showed that conventional adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors could correct hyperphenylalaninemia in a mouse model of PKU, although limitations such as very large dose requirement and relative inefficiency in female animals were recognized.

Midtrimester termination of pregnancy using gemeprost in combination with laminaria in women who have previously undergone cesarean section.

Aim: We aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of midtrimester termination of pregnancy using gemeprost in combination with laminaria in women who had previously undergone cesarean section and in women who had not.

Methods: Between January 1999 and December 2006, we carried out a retrospective study of termination of pregnancy at 12-21 weeks of gestation at the University of Tsukuba Hospital. Termination of pregnancy was carried out by three-step uterine cervical dilation using laminaria followed by vaginal administration of 1 mg gemeprost every 3 h for up to four doses over 24 h.

Adipose tissue as a novel target for in vivo gene transfer by adeno-associated viral vectors.

Traditionally, skeletal muscle and liver are the preferred target organs for gene transfer to supply a transgene product into the systemic circulation. In this respect, adipose tissue presents a number of attractive features. However, adipose tissue transduction in vivo has not been feasible by conventional methods.

Utility of intraperitoneal administration as a route of AAV serotype 5 vector-mediated neonatal gene transfer.

Background: Gene transfer into a fetus or neonate can be a fundamental approach for treating genetic diseases, particularly disorders that have irreversible manifestations in adulthood. Although the potential utility of this technique has been suggested, the advantages of neonatal gene transfer have not been widely investigated. Here, we tested the usefulness of neonatal gene transfer using adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors by comparing the administration routes and vector doses.

Large-scale production of recombinant viruses by use of a large culture vessel with active gassing.

Adenovirus and adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors are increasingly used for gene transduction experiments. However, to produce a sufficient amount of these vectors for in vivo experiments requires large-capacity tissue culture facilities, which may not be practical in limited laboratory space. We describe here a large-scale method to produce adenovirus and AAV vectors with an active gassing system that uses large culture vessels to process labor- and cost-effective infection or transfection in a closed system.

[The value of proper sputum collection instruction in detection of acid-fast bacillus].

Purpose: This study was conducted to assess clinically whether intervention with instruction applying respiratory rehabilitation method for expectorating sputum was useful or not to obtain more suitable sputum for smear examination of acid-fast bacilli.

Subject: All specimens examined were sputa obtained from 163 patients without the instruction group and 161 patients with the instruction group, who visited our outpatients clinic during one year from September 1, 2000 to August 31, 2001 and the following one year, respectively.

Method: Gross appearance of the sputum according to Miller & Jones' classification (M1, M2, P1-P3) and smear positive rate by fluorescence staining method after N-Acetyl-L-cysteine-NaOH treatment and centrifugation were compared between the two groups.

Antepartum assessment of fetal cystic lymphangioma by magnetic resonance imaging.

Few reports of fetal cystic lymphangioma have described assessment in utero by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We evaluated a fetus with cystic lymphangioma by this method. Complementing the characteristic features of cystic lymphangioma in ultrasonographic images, prenatal MRI provided a detailed view of anatomic relationships of cysts to surrounding tissues in this case.

Second-trimester maternal pregnancy-associated plasma protein a and inhibin a levels in fetal trisomies.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether fetal trisomy is associated with altered levels of second-trimester maternal pregnancy-associated plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and inhibin A.

Methods: Maternal serum PAPP-A and inhibin A concentrations were measured at 15-17 weeks of gestation in 14 singleton pregnancies with fetal trisomy and in 56 matched pregnant controls.

Results: PAPP-A levels in the trisomy group were significantly lower than in controls.