Induction of labor compared to dilation and evacuation for postmortem analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the ability to obtain autopsy and cytogenetics after midtrimester termination. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study of women undergoing termination, via induction or dilation and evacuation (D&E), at 16 0/7-23 6/7 weeks was performed. Exclusion criteria were elective termination, preterm labor, PPROM, and no autopsy or cytogenetic exam performed. The ability to obtain cytogenetics and autopsy as well as complications rates were compared between the two groups with Chi-square tests. RESULTS: Of the 469 women who met the inclusion criteria, 158 had an induction and 312 had a D&E. The induction of labor group had higher mean gestational ages, p < 0.01. Successful autopsy was more likely in the induction group, 94.3%, versus D&E group, 34.7%, p = 0.01. There was no difference in ability to obtain cytogenetics between the two groups, 89.1% in the induction group, and 92.3% in D&E group, p = 0.4. There was a difference in the total complication rates between the groups, 9.8% (26) in the induction versus 6.4% (20) in the D&E group, p < 0.01; however, there was no difference in major complications. CONCLUSIONS: Midtrimester terminations by induction were more likely to have successful autopsies when compared with D&E. The ability to obtain cytogenetics was similar regardless of termination mode.

Weight gain in twin gestations: are the Institute of Medicine guidelines optimal for neonatal outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: To assess neonatal outcomes according to gestational weight gain (GWG) in twins. STUDY DESIGN: This was a retrospective cohort study of twins delivered at ⩾24 weeks. GWG was defined using the Institute of Medicine (IOM) guidelines as the referent. Birthweight and neonatal intensive-care unit (NICU) admissions were compared with ≥(2)- and analysis of variance tests, stratified by body mass index (BMI). RESULT: In all three BMI groups, mean birth weight of the larger and smaller twin increased as GWG increased, P<0.01. For the underweight/normal-weight group, both twins <2500 g, <1500 g and small for gestational age decreased significantly as GWG increased. Birthweight <2500 g increased in all groups with GWG below the IOM guidelines, P<0.01. In the multivariate analysis, both twins <2500 g were significantly decreased with GWG above IOM guidelines. There was no difference in NICU admissions with GWG above the IOM guidelines. CONCLUSION: GWG above the IOM guidelines may improve twin birth weights, with the findings most significant in underweight/normal-weight women.

Interactions of aldolase and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase: molecular mass studies.

A gel penetration technique, that measures the dilution undergone by protein equilibrium on a short tightly packed gel column, has been employed to determine the molecular masses of aldolase (160 kDa), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH; 145 kDa) in the absence and presence of each other and of other proteins. The dilution factor (concentration of protein applied/concentration of protein after equilibration) was found to be inversely related to the molecular mass of the protein. In equimolar mixtures of aldolase and GPDH, 0.5-2.5 microM each, the two enzymes exhibited a common molecular mass value of 309-316 kDa. These enzymes did not undergo any self association or disassociation in this concentration range. Moreover, their molecular masses were unaffected by the presence of other proteins tested. When the concentration of one of these enzymes (aldolase or GPDH) was held constant and that of the other varied, the dilution factor of the former was decreased as the concentration of the latter was increased until it corresponded to a molecular mass of ca. 310 kDa at equimolar concentrations of the two enzymes. Further increase in the concentration of the variable enzyme had no effect. It has been suggested that aldolase and GPDH form a 1:1 complex of dissociation constant equal to or less than 5 x 10(-8) M. The complex was found to dissociate in the presence of KCl, (NH4)2SO4, ATP and NADH whereas its formation was favoured by fructose-1,6-bisphosphate, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate, NAD+, ADP, AMP and phosphate ions.

Purification and properties of glutathione peroxidase from human placenta.

Glutathione peroxidase (glutathione--H2O2 oxidoreductase; EC 1.11.1.9) was purified to homogeneity from human placenta by using (NH4)2SO4 precipitation, ion-exchange chromatography, Sephadex gel filtration and preparative polyacrylamide-disc-gel electrophoresis. Glutathione peroxidase from human placenta is a tetramer, having 4g-atoms of selenium/mol of protein. The molecular weight of the enzyme is about 85000 with a subunit size of about 22,000. Kinetic properties of the enzyme are described. On incubation with cyanide, glutathione peroxidase is completely and irreversibly inactivated and selenium is released as a low-molecular-weight fragment. Reduced glutathione, beta-mercaptoethanol and dithiothreitol protect the enzyme from inactivation by cyanide and the release of selenium. Properties of human placental glutathione peroxidase are similar to those of isoenzyme A reported earlier by us from human erythrocytes. The presence of isoenzyme, B, reported earlier by us in human erythrocytes, was not detected in placenta. Also selenium-independent glutathione peroxidase (isoenzyme II), which is specific for cumene hydroperoxide, was not present in human placenta.

Omega speckles - a novel class of nuclear speckles containing hnRNPs associated with noncoding hsr-omega RNA in Drosophila.

Fluorescence RNA:RNA in situ hybridization studies in various larval and adult cell types of Drosophila melanogaster showed that the noncoding hsr-omega nuclear (hsromega-n) transcripts were present in the form of many small speckles. These speckles, which we name 'omega speckles', were distributed in the interchromatin space in close proximity to the chromatin. The only chromosomal site where hsromega-n transcripts localized was the 93D locus or the hsromega gene itself. The number of nucleoplasmic speckles varied in different cell types. Heat shock, which inhibits general chromosomal transcription, caused the individual speckles to coalesce into larger but fewer clusters. In extreme cases, only a single large cluster of hsromega-n transcripts localizing to the hsromega locus was seen in each nucleus. In situ immunocytochemical staining using antibodies against heterogenous nuclear RNA binding proteins (hnRNPs) like HRB87F, Hrp40, Hrb57A and S5 revealed that, in all cell types, all the hnRNPs gave a diffuse staining of chromatin areas and in addition, were present as large numbers of speckles. Colocalization studies revealed an absolute colocalization of the hnRNPs and the omegaspeckles. Heat shock caused all the hnRNPs to cluster together exactly, following the hsromega-n transcripts. Immunoprecipitation studies using the hnRNP antibodies further demonstrated a physical association of hnRNPs and hsromega transcripts. The omegaspeckles are distinct from interchromatin granules since nuclear speckles containing serine/arginine-rich SR-proteins like SC35 and SRp55 did not colocalize with the &ohgr; speckles. The speckled distribution of hnRNPs was completely disrupted in hsromega nullosomics. We conclude that the hsromega-n transcripts play essential structural and functional roles in organizing and establishing the hnRNP-containing omega speckles and thus regulate the trafficking and availability of hnRNPs and other related RNA binding proteins in the cell nucleus.