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Three-color flow cytometry was used to identify CD34+ cord blood (CB) hematopoietic progenitors of preterm (n = 13) and term (n = 18) neonates. The frequency of CD34+ CB cells gated on the lymphocyte fraction in term neonates is about half the frequency of preterm neonates (mean 1.84 +/- 0.8 vs. 3.49 +/- 1.8, p < 0.005). The difference of absolute CD34+ cells between the 2 groups did not reach statistical significance (premature 169 +/- 161 vs. mature 108 +/- 62.6 x 10(6) cells/l). The proportion of myeloid lineage-committed CD34+ cells coexpressing the CD33 antigen in preterm neonates does not significantly differ from that found in term neonates. However, in preterm neonates a higher fraction of erythroid lineage-committed CD34+ cells coexpresses the CD71 antigen as compared with term neonates (mean 28.7 +/- 14.1 vs. 11.4 +/- 5.7, p < 0.001). The positive correlation between gestational age and the ratio of myeloid/erythroid lineage-specific progenitor cells (r = 0.61, n = 31, p < 0.0005) suggests gestational changes in lineage commitment of CD34+ cells.

Oral glucose tolerance testing (OGTT) and quantification of serum fructosamine levels were performed in 190 asymptomatic women in weeks 24-28 of pregnancy. OGTT identified 10 of the 190 women as having gestational diabetes, but serum fructosamine quantification failed to do so because none of these 10 women exhibited levels exceeding the normal limit of 2.76 mmol/l. The mean fructosamine level in this group was 1.72 +/- 0.25 mmol/l compared to 1.60 +/- 0.15 mmol/l in the other 180 women without gestational diabetes. Fructosamine was found to correlate only with postload glucose values in excess of 180 mg/dl at 2 h (r = 0.87; p = 0.01), i.e. with the highest overall glucose values, but not with fasting glucose or milder postprandial hyperglycemia of under 180 mg/dl. We conclude that quantification of fructosamine detects only the rather severe cases of gestational hyperglycemia, but is too insensitive to uncover mild asymptomatic gestational diabetes mellitus, and we do not consider fructosamine to be a useful parameter for the diagnosis of this condition.

We reviewed all cases of suspected ectopic pregnancy (EP) that had transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) prior to surgery from 1987 to 1989. Of 265 patients who had culdocentesis and laparoscopy for suspected EP, 206 had EP. IN 28 of the 59 cases that proved negative at laparoscopy, EP was suspected at TVU. An ectopic embryo was seen at TVU in 28 cases where laparoscopy confirmed the TVU diagnosis. In 163 cases where EP was considered probable at TVU this was confirmed at laparoscopy. 15 cases of EP were overlooked at TVU.