Morphology of placentome in Korean water deer Hydropotes inermis argropus.

The placenta of the Korean water deer was anatomically examined to accumulate basic information regarding its reproductive system. The convex placentomes with five to nine well-developed pedicles were observed in the whole uterine horns, and therefore, the placenta was classified as oligocotyledonary. The evidence indicating the migration of binucleate cells (BNCs) from trophectoderm to the uterine epithelium led to the histological classification of the placenta as synepitheliochorial. The number of fetuses was markedly higher than that in other ruminant species. However, the number of placentomes was found to be similar to the other Cervidae species. Therefore, these results suggest that the Korean water deer may possess special mechanisms or structures at the fetus attachment site to maintain this unusally high number of fetuses.

Long-term production of pre-existing alloantibodies to E and c after allogenic BMT in a patient with aplastic anemia resulting in delayed hemolytic anemia.

BACKGROUND: Delayed hemolysis mediated by long-term production of pre-existing recipient-derived antibodies directed against donor RBC antigens after allogenic BMT is an unusual complication of hematopoietic transplantation. CASE REPORT: A 26-year-old man with aplastic anemia had pre-existing alloantibodies to E and c. He received BMT from a donor, whose Rh phenotype was E+, c+. From about 1 month after the transplant, he showed mild hemolysis due to the antibodies. RESULTS: The patient was typed as group B, CCDee and had anti-E and c alloantibodies before BMT. The donor was typed as group O, ccDEE. Although MNCs from the donor marrow were infused into the patient, DAT became positive on Day 21, and the patient-origin antibodies remained detectable by both DAT and IAT even 20 months after BMT. However, immunomagnetically isolated peripheral circulating B cells were 100 percent donor origin. The patient received prednisolone from Day 221, and thereafter, the signs of hemolysis disappeared. CONCLUSION: It is likely that the long-term production of alloantibodies is due to the existence of long-lived recipient plasma cells, which survive the conditioning regimen. This case suggests that patients with pre- existing alloantibodies that do not belong to the ABO system should be carefully followed up after BMT.