Experience with cultured thymus tissue in 105 children.

BACKGROUND: Currently, there are no approved therapies to treat congenital athymia, a condition of immune deficiency resulting in high early mortality due to infection and immune dysregulation. Multiple syndromic conditions, such as complete DiGeorge syndrome, 22q11.2 deletion syndrome, CHARGE (coloboma, heart defects, choanal atresia, growth or mental retardation, genital hypoplasia, and ear anomalies and/or deafness) syndrome, diabetic embryopathy, other genetic variants, and FOXN1 deficiency, are associated with congenital athymia. OBJECTIVE: Our aims were to study 105 patients treated with cultured thymus tissue (CTT), and in this report, to focus on the outcomes of 95 patients with treatment-naive congenital athymia. METHODS: A total of 10 prospective, single-arm open-label studies with patient enrollment from 1993 to 2020 form the basis of this data set. Patients were tested after administration of CTT for T-cell development; all adverse events and infections were recorded. RESULTS: A total of 105 patients were enrolled and received CTT (the full analysis set). Of those patients, 10 had diagnoses other than congenital athymia and/or received prior treatments. Of those 105 patients, 95 patients with treatment-naive congenital athymia were included in the efficacy analysis set (EAS). The Kaplan-Meier estimated survival rates at year 1 and year 2 after administration of CTT in the EAS were 77% (95% CI = 0.670-0.844) and 76% (95% CI = 0.657-0.834), respectively. In all, 21 patients died in the first year before developing naive T cells and 1 died in the second year after receipt of CTT; 3 subsequent deaths were not related to immunodeficiency. A few patients developed alopecia, autoimmune hepatitis, psoriasis, and psoriatic arthritis after year 1. The rates of infections, autologous graft-versus-host-disease manifestations, and autoimmune cytopenias all decreased approximately 1 year after administration of CTT. CONCLUSION: Treatment with CTT led to development of naive T cells with a 1-year survival rate of 77% and a median follow-up time of 7.6 years. Immune reconstitution sufficient to prevent infections and support survival typically develops 6 to12 months after administration of CTT.

Care of Children with DiGeorge Before and After Cultured Thymus Tissue Implantation.

BACKGROUND: Children with complete DiGeorge anomaly (cDGA) have congenital athymia plus a myriad of other challenging clinical conditions. The term cDGA encompasses children with congenital athymia secondary to 22q11.2DS, CHARGE syndrome (coloboma, heart defects, choanal atresia, growth or mental retardation, genital abnormalities, and ear abnormalities and/or deafness), and other genetic abnormalities. Some children have no known genetic defects. Since 1993, more than 100 children with congenital athymia have been treated with cultured thymus tissue implantation (CTTI). Naïve T cells develop approximately 6 to 12 months after CTTI. Most of the children had significant comorbidities such as heart disease, hypoparathyroidism, and infections requiring complex clinical care post cultured thymus tissue implantation (CTTI). OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this guidance is to assist multidisciplinary teams in caring for children with cDGA both before and after CTTI. METHODS: Thirty-one specialists, in addition to the authors, were asked to share their experience in caring for children with cDGA at Duke University Health System, before and after CTTI. These specialists included physicians, nurses, dentists, therapists, and dieticians. RESULTS: The goal of a multidisciplinary approach is to have children in the best possible condition for receiving CTTI and provide optimal care post CTTI through development of naïve T cells and beyond. The CTT (cultured thymus tissue) must be protected from high doses of steroids which can damage CTT. Organs must be protected from adverse effects of immunosuppression. CONCLUSION: Creating a multidisciplinary team and a detailed plan of care for children with cDGA is important for optimal outcomes.

Extracellular vesicle-associated miRNAs are an adaptive response to gestational diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a serious public health issue affecting 9-15% of all pregnancies worldwide. Recently, it has been suggested that extracellular vesicles (EVs) play a role throughout gestation, including mediating a placental response to hyperglycaemia. Here, we investigated the EV-associated miRNA profile across gestation in GDM, assessed their utility in developing accurate, multivariate classification models, and determined the signaling pathways in skeletal muscle proteome associated with the changes in the EV miRNA profile. METHODS: Discovery: A retrospective, case-control study design was used to identify EV-associated miRNAs that vary across pregnancy and clinical status (i.e. GDM or Normal Glucose Tolerance, NGT). EVs were isolated from maternal plasma obtained at early, mid and late gestation (n = 29) and small RNA sequencing was performed. Validation: A longitudinal study design was used to quantify expression of selected miRNAs. EV miRNAs were quantified by real-time PCR (cases = 8, control = 14, samples at three times during pregnancy) and their individual and combined classification efficiencies were evaluated. Quantitative, data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry was use to establish the protein profile in skeletal muscle biopsies from normal and GDM. RESULTS: A total of 2822 miRNAs were analyzed using a small RNA library, and a total of 563 miRNAs that significantly changed (p < 0.05) across gestation and 101 miRNAs were significantly changed between NGT and GDM. Analysis of the miRNA changes in NGT and GDM separately identified a total of 256 (NGT-group), and 302 (GDM-group) miRNAs that change across gestation. A multivariate classification model was developed, based on the quantitative expression of EV-associated miRNAs, and the accuracy to correctly assign samples was > 90%. We identified a set of proteins in skeletal muscle biopsies from women with GDM associated with JAK-STAT signaling which could be targeted by the miRNA-92a-3p within circulating EVs. Interestingly, overexpression of miRNA-92a-3p in primary skeletal muscle cells increase insulin-stimulated glucose uptake. CONCLUSIONS: During early pregnancy, differently-expressed, EV-associated miRNAs may be of clinical utility in identifying presymptomatic women who will subsequently develop GDM later in gestation. We suggest that miRNA-92a-3p within EVs might be a protected mechanism to increase skeletal muscle insulin sensitivity in GDM.

Obstetric and perinatal outcomes for women with pre-existing diabetes in rural compared to metropolitan settings in Victoria, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Pre-existing diabetes in pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of complications. Likewise, living in rural, regional and remote Victoria, Australia, is also associated with poorer health outcomes. There is a gap in the literature with regard to whether Victorian women with pre-existing diabetes experience a greater risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes compared to their metropolitan counterparts. AIM: Our objective is to compare obstetric and perinatal outcomes for women with pre-existing diabetes delivering in rural vs metropolitan hospitals in Victoria, Australia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective population-based study using routinely collected state-based data of singleton births to women with type 1 and type 2 diabetes who delivered in metropolitan (n = 3233) and rural hospitals (n = 693) in Victoria, Australia, between 2006-2015. Pearson's χ2 test, Fisher's exact test and MannWhitney U-test were used to compare obstetric and perinatal outcomes between metropolitan and rural locations. RESULTS: Delivery in a rural hospital was associated with higher rates of stillbirth (2.3% vs 1.1%, P = 0.027), macrosomia (25.9% vs 16.9%, P < 0.001), shoulder dystocia (8.4% vs 3.5%, P < 0.001) and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit/special care nursery (73.2% vs 59.3%, P < 0.001). Smoking (18.0% vs 8.9%, P < 0.001), overweight/obesity (P = 0.047) and socioeconomic disadvantage (P < 0.001) were more common in rural women. CONCLUSIONS: Women with pre-existing diabetes who deliver in rural hospitals experience a greater risk of adverse perinatal outcomes and present with increased maternal risk factors. These results suggest a need to improve care for women with pre-existing diabetes in rural Victoria.

Pregnancy outcomes for women with pre-pregnancy diabetes mellitus in Australian populations, rural and metropolitan: A review.

BACKGROUND: Historically, pre-pregnancy diabetes (PPDM) is a recognised risk factor for poor pregnancy outcome. Co-existing pathology and adverse social determinants including rural-metropolitan inequities in health and healthcare access may confer additional risks. Multidisciplinary care before, during and after pregnancy can improve outcomes for women with PPDM and their infants. The extent to which rural Australian women and their families share in improved outcomes is unknown. We aimed to summarise maternal characteristics and pregnancy outcomes for women with PPDM, including women in rural settings and examine applications of existing clinical guidelines to rural Australian practice. METHODS: We sought English language population and cohort studies about PPDM using Medline, Embase, PubMed, Australian epidemiological and international clinical practice guidelines. RESULTS: Women with PPDM are changing: older, more obese, of lower parity, less likely to smoke, more likely to have type 2 rather than type 1 diabetes and shorter duration of PPDM. Women with PPDM continue to experience excess adverse pregnancy outcomes, including maternal morbidity, complicated birth, perinatal loss, congenital anomalies and mother-infant separation. On face value, clinical guidelines appear relevant to women living in rural settings but there are only a few, conflicting outcome studies for rural women with PPDM. CONCLUSIONS: PPDM is changing. A significant minority live in rural locations, and although perinatal mortality/morbidity seems to be improving, it is unclear if this is also true for rural women due to a lack of recent Australian studies. Further research is necessary to achieve excellence everywhere for women with PPDM and their babies.

Timing of diagnosis of gestational diabetes and pregnancy outcomes: A retrospective cohort.

BACKGROUND: Recent guidelines suggest screening high-risk women in early pregnancy for gestational diabetes (GDM); however, there is little evidence to support this. AIMS: To compare pregnancy outcomes associated with diabetes for women with risk factors for GDM according to gestation of diagnosis. Early GDM was defined as a positive test before 20 weeks gestation, late GDM as a positive test at 20 or more weeks and no GDM when both tests were negative. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis in an Australian tertiary hospital of women who underwent a glucose tolerance test in pregnancy prior to 20 weeks gestation, and a repeat test after 20 weeks gestation if the initial test was negative. Results were adjusted for maternal demographics. RESULTS: Women with early GDM (n = 170) were no more likely to experience the obstetric composite outcome than women with late GDM (n = 171) or no GDM (n = 547) (early odds ratio (OR) 1.16, 95%CI 0.79-1.71; late OR 0.78, 95%CI 0.53-1.12). Infants of women with early GDM, but not late GDM, were more likely (early OR 1.8, 95%CI 1.15-2.92; late OR 1.4, 95%CI 0.90-2.23) to have the neonatal composite outcome than infants of women without GDM, predominantly due to an increase in neonatal hypoglycaemia. CONCLUSIONS: This result may be due to careful management of GDM, or because, after adjustment for maternal demographics, the early diagnosis of GDM does not substantially increase rates of adverse outcomes compared to GDM diagnosed in later pregnancy or no GDM in women with risk factors for GDM.

Effect of Ovarian Hormones and Mating Experience on the Preference of Female Mice to Investigate Male Urinary Pheromones.

In female mice, the expression of receptive lordosis behavior requires estradiol and progesterone actions in the nervous system; however, the contribution of these hormones to females' motivation to seek out male pheromones is less clear. In an initial experiment, sexually naïve ovary-intact female mice preferred to investigate (make nasal contact with) testes-intact male as opposed to estrous female urine, provided they were in vaginal estrus. In a second experiment, groups of sexually naïve and mating-experienced, ovariectomized females were tested for urinary pheromone preference first without and then with ovarian hormone replacement. Without hormone replacement, sexually naïve ovariectomized females showed no preference for male over female urinary pheromones whereas mating-experienced females preferred to investigate male pheromones. Ovariectomized females in both groups preferred male over female urine after sequential s.c. injections with estradiol benzoate followed 2 days later with progesterone and after prolonged (7 days) exposure to estradiol alone. Our results indicate that in sexually naïve female mice estradiol, perhaps aided by progesterone, is required to motivate a preference to seek out male pheromones whereas after mating experience females' preference to investigate male pheromones persists even in the absence of ovarian hormone action.

Impact of the Safe Childbirth Checklist on health worker childbirth practices in Luapula province of Zambia: a pre-post study.

BACKGROUND: A strong evidence base exists regarding routine and emergency services that can effectively prevent or reduce maternal and new-born mortality. However, even when skilled providers care for women in labour, many of the recommended services are not provided, despite being available. Barriers to the provision of appropriate childbirth services may include lack of availability of supplies, limited health worker knowledge and confidence, or inadequate time. The WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC) includes reminders for evidenced-based practices at specific points in the childbirth process. Zambia is currently considering nation-wide adoption of the SCC, but there is a need for context-specific evidence. Beginning in September 2017, a program is being implemented in Nchelenge District to pilot use of the SCC, along with coaching that focuses on strengthening the systems that allow the essential practices in childbirth to be performed. METHODS: This study will use a pre-post study design to measure health worker adherence to the essential practices for delivery care outlined in the SCC. Data will be collected through observations of health workers as they care for mothers during childbirth at four facilities. Data collection will take place before the start of the intervention, at 3 months, and at 6 months post-intervention. The primary outcome interest is the change in the average proportion of essential childbirth practices completed. A health worker questionnaire will be administered at the time that the SCC is introduced and 6 months later to gather their perspectives on incorporating the SCC into clinical practice in Zambia. DISCUSSION: Findings are expected to inform plans for introducing the SCC in Zambia. This evaluation will aim to understand uptake and impact of the SCC and associated coaching in the context of a basic level of mentorship that the government could feasibly provide at a national scale. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Clinical Trials.gov ( NCT03263182 ) Registered August 28, 2017.

Impact of passenger engagement through road safety bus stickers in public service vehicles on road traffic crashes in Zambia: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs) are the third highest cause of death in Zambia, claiming about 2000 lives annually, with pedestrians and cyclists being the most vulnerable. Human error accounts for 87.3% of RTCs. Minibus and big bus public service vehicles (PSVs) are among the common vehicle types involved in these crashes. Given the alarmingly high rate of road traffic crashes involving PSV minibuses and big buses within Zambia, there is a need to mitigate this through innovative solutions. In other settings, it has been shown that stickers in PSVs encouraging passengers to speak out against reckless driving can reduce RTCs, but it is unclear whether such an intervention could work in Zambia. Based on this evidence, the Zambia Road Transport and Safety Agency (RTSA) has developed a road safety bus sticker campaign for PSVs and before national scale-up, RTSA is interested in evidence of the impact of these stickers. METHODS: This evaluation will be a stratified two-arm randomized controlled trial with a one-to-one ratio. The sample will be stratified by vehicle type, thus creating a two-arm trial for minibuses and a separate two-arm trial for big buses. The sample will include 2110 minibuses and 300 big buses from four towns in Zambia. The primary outcome of interest will be the difference in the rate of RTCs over a 14-month period (7-months before the intervention and 7 months after) between buses with and without the new RTSA road safety bus stickers. DISCUSSION: This study will provide evidence on the impact of the Zambian sticker program on road traffic crashes as implemented through minibuses and big buses, that can help inform the scale up of a national 'Zambia road safety bus sticker campaign'. TRIAL REGISTRATION: PACT-R, PACTR201711002758216 . Registered 13 November 2017-Retrospectively registered.

DREADD-induced silencing of the medial amygdala reduces the preference for male pheromones and the expression of lordosis in estrous female mice.

Sexually naïve estrous female mice seek out male urinary pheromones; however, they initially display little receptive (lordosis) behavior in response to male mounts. Vomeronasal-accessory olfactory bulb inputs to the medial amygdala (Me) regulate courtship in female rodents. We used a reversible inhibitory chemogenetic technique (Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs; DREADDs) to assess the contribution of Me signaling to females' preference for male pheromones and improvement in receptivity normally seen with repeated testing. Sexually naïve females received bilateral Me injections of an adeno-associated virus carrying an inhibitory DREADD. Females were later ovariectomized, treated with ovarian hormones, and given behavioral tests following intraperitoneal injections of saline or clozapine-N-oxide (CNO; which hyperpolarizes infected Me neurons). CNO attenuated females' preference to investigate male vs. female urinary odors. Repeated CNO treatment also slowed the increase in lordosis otherwise seen in females given saline. However, when saline was given to females previously treated with CNO, their lordosis quotients were as high as other females repeatedly given saline. No disruptive behavioral effects of CNO were seen in estrous females lacking DREADD infections of the Me. Finally, CNO attenuated the ability of male pheromones to stimulate Fos expression in the Me of DREADD-infected mice but not in non-infected females. Our results affirm the importance of Me signaling in females' chemosensory preferences and in the acute expression of lordosis. However, they provide no indication that Me signaling is required for the increase in receptivity normally seen after repeated hormone priming and testing with a male.

A comparison of the effects of male pheromone priming and optogenetic inhibition of accessory olfactory bulb forebrain inputs on the sexual behavior of estrous female mice.

Previous research has shown that repeated testing with a stimulus male is required for ovariectomized, hormone-primed female mice to become sexually receptive (show maximal lordosis quotients; LQs) and that drug-induced, epigenetic enhancement of estradiol receptor function accelerated the improvement in LQs otherwise shown by estrous females with repeated testing. We asked whether pre-exposure to male pheromones ('pheromone priming') would also accelerate the improvement in LQs with repeated tests and whether optogenetic inhibition of accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) projection neurons could inhibit lordosis in sexually experienced estrous female mice. In Experiment 1, repeated priming with soiled male bedding failed to accelerate the progressive improvement in LQs shown by estrous female mice across 5 tests, although the duration of each lordosis response and females' investigation of male body parts during the first test was augmented by such priming. In Experiment 2, acute optogenetic inhibition of AOB inputs to the forebrain during freely moving behavioral tests significantly reduced LQs, suggesting that continued AOB signaling to the forebrain during mating is required for maximal lordotic responsiveness even in sexually experienced females. Our results also suggest that pheromonal stimulation, by itself, cannot substitute for the full complement of sensory stimulation received by estrous females from mounting males that normally leads to the progressive improvement in their LQs with repeated testing.

Gestational weight gain information: seeking and sources among pregnant women.

BACKGROUND: Promoting healthy gestational weight gain (GWG) is important for preventing obstetric and perinatal morbidity, along with obesity in both mother and child. Provision of GWG guidelines by health professionals predicts women meeting GWG guidelines. Research concerning women's GWG information sources is limited. This study assessed pregnant women's sources of GWG information and how, where and which women seek GWG information. METHODS: Consecutive women (n = 1032) received a mailed questionnaire after their first antenatal visit to a public maternity hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Recalled provision of GWG guidelines by doctors and midwives, recalled provided GWG goals, and the obtaining of GWG information and information sources were assessed. RESULTS: Participants (n = 368; 35.7% response) averaged 32.5 years of age and 20.8 weeks gestation, with 33.7% speaking a language other than English. One in ten women recalled receiving GWG guidelines from doctors or midwives, of which half were consistent with Institute of Medicine guidelines. More than half the women (55.4%) had actively sought GWG information. Nulliparous (OR 7.07, 95% CI = 3.91-12.81) and obese (OR 1.96, 95% CI = 1.05-3.65) women were more likely to seek information. Underweight (OR 0.29, 95% CI = 0.09-0.97) women and those working part time (OR 0.52, 95% CI = 0.28-0.97) were less likely to seek information. Most frequently reported GWG sources included the internet (82.7%), books (55.4%) and friends (51.5%). The single most important sources were identified as the internet (32.8%), general practitioners (16.9%) and books (14.9%). CONCLUSION: More than half of women were seeking GWG guidance and were more likely to consult non-clinician sources. The small numbers given GWG targets, and the dominance of non-clinical information sources, reinforces that an important opportunity to provide evidence based advice and guidance in the antenatal care setting is currently being missed.

Emerging issues in invasive prenatal diagnosis: Safety and competency in the post-NIPT era.

BACKGROUND: Numbers of invasive prenatal procedures are declining in response to improved aneuploidy screening methods. OBJECTIVE: To assess current practice and attitudes of clinicians performing invasive prenatal diagnosis in regard to patient consent and safety, maintaining procedural competence and uptake of chromosomal microarrays (CMAs). METHODS: Anonymous online survey of the Australian Association of Obstetrical and Gynaecological Ultrasonologists conducted in March 2015. RESULTS: The survey had a 45% response rate with 59 respondents from Australia. Of these, 34 were subspecialists in maternal fetal medicine or obstetric and gynaecological ultrasound. Fifty-six (95%) currently performed amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling. Of these, 14 (25%) performed <25 procedures and 8 (14%) performed >150 annually, with most respondents (60%) proposing 10-25 amniocenteses/year as adequate activity to maintain their skills. The majority neither expected referrers to provide results of hepatitis B and HIV serology, nor followed up missing results. There was uncertainty regarding the procedure-related vertical transmission risk of HBV in women with high viral load, with most respondents stating they were either unsure of the risk (22%) or that the risk was unknown (30%). Fifty per cent of practitioners routinely ordered CMA after invasive testing; all recommended CMA following a diagnosis of structural abnormality. CONCLUSIONS: In a period of declining testing, many Australian specialists are performing <25 procedures annually. Consideration of the potential risks of bloodborne viruses is limited. CMAs are rapidly being incorporated into clinical practice. These data have implications for patient consent and safety, and workforce training and practice.

Shining light in dark corners: diagnosis and management of late-onset fetal growth restriction.

Fetal growth restriction (FGR) is the single biggest risk factor for stillbirth. In the absence of any effective treatment for fetal growth restriction, the mainstay of management is close surveillance and timely delivery. While such statements are almost self-evident, the daily clinical challenge of late-onset fetal growth restriction remains; the competing priorities of minimising stillbirth risk, while avoiding excessive obstetric intervention and the neonatal sequelae of iatrogenic preterm birth. This dilemma is made harder because the tools for late-onset FGR diagnosis and surveillance compare poorly to those used in early-onset FGR; screening tests in early pregnancy have limited predictive value; most cases escape clinical detection, a phenomenon set to worsen given the obesity epidemic; there is a failure of consensus on the definition of small for gestational age, and ancillary tools, such as umbilical artery Doppler--of value in identification of preterm FGR--are less useful in the late-preterm period and at term. Most importantly, the problem is common; 96% of all births occur after 32 weeks. This means a poor noise/signal ratio of any test or management algorithm will inevitably have large clinical consequences. Into such a dark corner, we cast some light; a summary on diagnostic criteria, new developments to improve the diagnosis of late-onset FGR and a suggested approach to management.

Clinical course and outcome predictors of critically ill infants with complete DiGeorge anomaly following thymus transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: To identify risk factors for PICU admission and mortality of infants with complete DiGeorge anomaly treated with thymus transplantation. We hypothesized that age at transplantation and the presence of congenital heart disease would be risk factors for emergent PICU admission, and these factors plus development of septicemia would increase morbidity and mortality. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Academic medical-surgical PICU. PATIENTS: All infants with complete DiGeorge anomaly treated with thymus transplantation between January 1, 1993, and July 1, 2010. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Consent was obtained from 71 infants with complete DiGeorge anomaly for thymus transplantation, and 59 infants were transplanted. Median age at transplantation was 5.0 months (range, 1.1-22.1 mo). After transplantation, 12 of 59 infants (20%) required 25 emergent PICU admissions. Seven of 12 infants (58%) survived to PICU discharge with six surviving 6 months posttransplantation. Forty-two of 59 infants (71%) transplanted had congenital heart disease, and 9 of 12 (75%) who were admitted to the PICU had congenital heart disease. In 15 of 25 admissions (60%), intubation and mechanical ventilation were necessary. There was no difference between median ventilation-free days between infants with and without congenital heart disease (33 d vs 23 d, p = 0.544). There was also no correlation between ventilation-free days and age of transplantation (R, 0.17; p = 0.423). Age at transplantation and the presence of congenital heart disease were not associated with risk for PICU admission (odds ratio, 0.95; 95% CI, 0.78-1.15 and odds ratio, 1.27; 95% CI, 0.30-5.49, respectively) or PICU mortality (odds ratio, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.73-1.31 and odds ratio, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.15-1.07, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Most transplanted infants did not require emergent PICU admission. Age at transplantation and the presence of congenital heart disease were not associated with PICU admission or mortality.

POMC neurons control fertility through differential signaling of MC4R in Kisspeptin neurons.

Inactivating mutations in the melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) gene cause monogenic obesity. Interestingly, female patients also display various degrees of reproductive disorders, in line with the subfertile phenotype of MC4RKO female mice. However, the cellular mechanisms by which MC4R regulates reproduction are unknown. Kiss1 neurons directly stimulate gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) release through two distinct populations; the Kiss1ARH neurons, controlling GnRH pulses, and the sexually dimorphic Kiss1AVPV/PeN neurons controlling the preovulatory LH surge. Here, we show that Mc4r expressed in Kiss1 neurons is required for fertility in females. In vivo, deletion of Mc4r from Kiss1 neurons in female mice replicates the reproductive impairments of MC4RKO mice without inducing obesity. Conversely, reinsertion of Mc4r in Kiss1 neurons of MC4R null mice restores estrous cyclicity and LH pulsatility without reducing their obese phenotype. In vitro, we dissect the specific action of MC4R on Kiss1ARH vs Kiss1AVPV/PeN neurons and show that MC4R activation excites Kiss1ARH neurons through direct synaptic actions. In contrast, Kiss1AVPV/PeN neurons are normally inhibited by MC4R activation except under elevated estradiol levels, thus facilitating the activation of Kiss1AVPV/PeN neurons to induce the LH surge driving ovulation in females. Our findings demonstrate that POMCARH neurons acting through MC4R, directly regulate reproductive function in females by stimulating the "pulse generator" activity of Kiss1ARH neurons and restricting the activation of Kiss1AVPV/PeN neurons to the time of the estradiol-dependent LH surge, and thus unveil a novel pathway of the metabolic regulation of fertility by the melanocortin system.

First use of thymus transplantation therapy for FOXN1 deficiency (nude/SCID): a report of 2 cases.

FOXN1 deficiency is a primary immunodeficiency characterized by athymia, alopecia totalis, and nail dystrophy. Two infants with FOXN1 deficiency were transplanted with cultured postnatal thymus tissue. Subject 1 presented with disseminated Bacillus Calmette-Guérin infection and oligoclonal T cells with no naive markers. Subject 2 had respiratory failure, human herpes virus 6 infection, cytopenias, and no circulating T cells. The subjects were given thymus transplants at 14 and 9 months of life, respectively. Subject 1 received immunosuppression before and for 10 months after transplantation. With follow up of 4.9 and 2.9 years, subjects 1 and 2 are well without infectious complications. The pretransplantation mycobacterial disease in subject 1 and cytopenias in subject 2 resolved. Subject 2 developed autoimmune thyroid disease 1.6 years after transplantation. Both subjects developed functional immunity. Subjects 1 and 2 have 1053/mm(3) and 1232/mm(3) CD3(+) cells, 647/mm(3) and 868/mm(3) CD4(+) T cells, 213/mm(3) and 425/mm(3) naive CD4(+) T cells, and 10 200 and 5700 T-cell receptor rearrangement excision circles per 100 000 CD3(+) cells, respectively. They have normal CD4 T-cell receptor ß variable repertoires. Both subjects developed antigen-specific proliferative responses and have discontinued immunoglobulin replacement. In summary, thymus transplantation led to T-cell reconstitution and function in these FOXN1 deficient infants.

Is that femur really short? A survey of current and best practice in fetal biometry.

A web-based survey of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists fellows and trainees enquired about fetal femur length reporting and found: 1 Heterogeneous (including unpublished) chart choices. 2 Popular charts are not always of highest quality. 3 z-score rarely used despite World Health Authority endorsement. Potential clinical risks include false-positive and false-negative diagnosis and confusion for both patient and staff. We recommend developing high-quality charts, publishing unpublished charts and describe methods to support best practice.

Umbilical artery Doppler flow: an examination of current and best practice.

A Web-based survey of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RANZCOG) fellows and trainees who perform or act on umbilical artery Doppler showed heterogeneous reporting practices. Systolic: diastolic ratio is frequently used. Pulsatility index is favoured internationally and by many RANZCOG subspecialists. Unpublished charts are used more often than published. We summarise ideal methods of chart development but recognise that chart choice is guided by professional opinion leaders, day-to-day accessibility and other factors.

Diagnosis of 22q11.2 deletion syndrome and artemis deficiency in two children with T-B-NK+ immunodeficiency.

Two infants are described who presented with 22q11.2 deletion and a T(-)B(-)NK(+) immune phenotype. For both infants, the initial diagnosis was athymia secondary to complete DiGeorge anomaly. The first infant underwent thymus transplantation but 6 months after transplantation had circulating thymus donor T cells; the patient did not develop recipient naïve T cells. Genetic analyses revealed that both patients had Artemis deficiency, a rare form of severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Both infants have subsequently undergone bone marrow transplantation. These cases illustrate the importance and paradox of differentiating SCID from complete DiGeorge anomaly because hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the preferred treatment for SCID but is ineffective for complete DiGeorge anomaly. However, if the thymus is completely absent, donor stem cells from a HSCT would not be able to be educated.