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Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of prenatal diagnosis of esophageal atresia (EA) and its associated abnormalities., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study from a pediatric database of EA managed postnatally in a single center. Prenatal data included ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging parameters including amniotic fluid (AF) volume, stomach visualization, AF biochemistry, and associated malformations. Postnatal data included type of EA, mortality, and postnatal diagnosis of associated malformations., Results: One hundred twenty-two cases were included. The diagnosis was suspected prenatally in 39/122 (32%) cases. Polyhydramnios was noted in 64/122 (52.4%), and the stomach was not visualized or small in 39 (32%). There was 14 (11.5%), 2 (1.6%), 101 (82.8%), 5 (4.1%), and 0 (0%) types I, II, III, IV, and V, respectively. EA was suspected prenatally in 12/14 (85.7%) in type I and in 27/108 (25%) in cases with tracheoesophageal fistula (II + III + IV + V). Magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 28 cases, which confirmed EA in 19/28 (sensitivity 67.8%). AF biochemistry was performed in 17 cases, which confirmed EA in 15/17 (sensitivity 88.2%) cases. Of the 69 syndromic associations, 41/69 (59.4%) cases were detected prenatally. Associated malformation was a strong predictor of postnatal death [19/69 vs 3/53, odds ratio 6.33 (1.76; 22.75), p < 0.01]., Conclusion: Prenatal diagnosis of EA remains challenging. MRI and AF biochemistry may prove useful in the diagnosis of EA. Prenatal ultrasound and MRI examination should also focus on associated anomalies. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Ocoee Lake No. 3 is the first reservoir receiving suspended sediments contaminated with trace metals discharged by acid mine effluents from the Ducktown Mining District, Tennessee. Bottom sediments (0-5 cm) from the lake were sampled to assess the potential for future adverse environmental effects if no remediation controls or activities are implemented. The sediments were found to include a major component (173 +/- 19 g kg(-1)) that dissolved in 6 mol L(-1) HCl within 24 h. This acid-soluble and relatively labile fraction contained high concentrations of Fe (460 +/- 40 g kg(-1)), Al (99 +/- 11 g kg(-1)), Mn (10 +/- 8 g kg(-1)), Cu (2000 +/- 700 mg kg(-1)), Zn (1300 +/- 200 mg kg(-1)), and Pb (300 +/- 200 mg kg(-1)). When the pH of water in contact with the sediment was decreased experimentally from 6.4 to 2.6, the concentrations of dissolved trace metals increased by factors of 2200 for Pb, 160 for Cu, 21 for Zn, 9 for Cd, 8 for Ni, and 5 for Co. The order in which metals were released with decreasing pH was the reverse of that reported for pH-dependent sorption of these metals in upstream systems. Substantial release of trace metals from the sediment was observed even by a modest decrease of pH from 6.4 to 5.9. Therefore, the metal-rich sediment of the lake should be considered as potentially hazardous to bottom-dwelling aquatic species and other organisms in the local food chain. In addition, if the reservoir is dredged or if the dam is removed, the accumulated sediment may have to be treated for recovery of sorbed metals.

A nephelometric immunoassay was developed to quantify immunoglobulin A (IgA) in children's stools. This method enables IgA in faecal protein extracts to be measured over a large range of concentrations (1.61-51.50 mg/L) with good accuracy (linear recovery in dilution-overloading assay) and precision (within- and between-run coefficients of variation (CVs) of 1-6%). An excellent recovery (105%) was obtained in stool samples overloaded by purified colostral IgA, demonstrating that the method used for faecal IgA extraction is adapted, not to induce significant IgA degradation, and probably allow a complete extraction of IgA. The amount of faecal IgA, as determined in stool samples from 125 children (6-24 months old), was an average of 14 mg per 100 g of stools (about 10% of the total protein stool content), with large individual variation (3-30 mg per 100 g of stools). No correlation was observed between faecal IgA amounts and the children's age or sex. Such an immunoassay could enable exhaustive noninvasive investigations of the maturation of the intestinal immune system, as well as accurate studies of the effect of oral dietary supplementation on IgA regulation., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The mannan binding lectin (MBL) activates the complement system by the lectin pathway after the recognition of some structural motifs (saccharides) present on the surface of microorganisms. MBL has been mostly identified and quantified in human serum by ELISA or microparticle immunonephelometry assays. This article reports the MBL levels as assessed by a microparticle immunonephelometric assay in 76 human milk samples. Immunonephelometry was performed using skim-milk samples diluted 20 times over a calibration range of 0.07-4.82 mg/L. MBL is indeed present in human milk and its concentration decreases significantly during development from colostrum (0.55+/-0.09 mg/L) to transitional (0.18+/-0.02 mg/L) and mature milk (0.17+/-0.02 mg/L). This innate molecule may be involved in the primary defenses of the mammary gland and the neonate, whose immune system is immature. The high levels observed during the first days of lactation support the hypothesis that this molecule plays a key role in limiting the colonization of the newborn gut by pathogens., (Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

IgA, IgA1, and IgA2 concentrations were determined in 81 defatted human milk samples: colostrum (days 1-5, n = 42), transitional milk (days 6-14, n = 18) and mature milk (days 15-75, n = 21) by immunonephelometry. Correlations were found between total IgA levels and the concentrations of both IgA subclasses (P < 0.0001). The levels of the three molecules decreased over lactation with significant differences (P < 0.05) between colostrum and transitional milk levels and between colostrum and mature milk. Colostral IgA1 and IgA2 mean concentrations dropped respectively from 10.89 +/- 2.12 g/L, and 15.41 +/- 2.10 g/L to 1.83 +/- 0.73 g/L and 3.40 +/- 1.25 g/L in transitional milk reaching finally to 0.36 +/- 0.07 g/L and 0.27 +/- 0.06 g/L in mature milk. IgA2 concentrations were higher than those of IgA1 when the total IgA level was high. The IgA2 levels in colostrum could be an adaptation resistance of IgA to potentially harmful pathogens able to secrete IgA proteases and also a way to regulate colonization of the microflora in the newborn., (Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

A microparticle-enhanced nephelometric immunoassay was developed for kappa-casein quantification in human milk. Together with a previously reported beta-casein comparable immunoassay, it was applied to 862 samples milk, collected from 82 mothers, to investigate the changes in casein concentrations in human milk during the first twelve weeks of lactation. kappa-casein immunoassay is sensitive (detection limit in the reaction mixture, 0.02 mg/L) and can be performed in diluted milk, excluding any interference or sample pretreatment. It allowed the quantitation of kappa-casein over a large range of concentrations (0.14-4.56 g/L) with accuracy and precision (coefficients of variation from 3 to 10%). beta- and kappa-casein concentrations and percentages among milk total proteins increase between colostrum (2.6 g/L, 14.3% and 1.2 g/L, 6. 5%, respectively) and transitional milk (4.4 g/L, 33.2% and 1.3 g/L, 9.5%), decrease at different rates from the third to the eighth week, then remain stable at least up to the end of the third month of lactation (2.7 g/L, 25.3% and 0.9 g/L, 8.5%). The beta-casein/kappa-casein ratio is higher in colostrum (0.61) than in transitional and mature milk (0.30) and could be related to a better digestibility of colostrum casein micelles by the neonate during the first days of life., (Copyright 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

The phenotypes of malignant cells from 350 untreated patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were determined at diagnosis with the use of a panel of monoclonal antibodies to leukocyte antigens. According to the phenotypes seen, the cases were divided into five groups, pre-B ALL, B-ALL, T-ALL, MO-ALL, and undifferentiated ALL. Each group was subdivided, resulting in 11 defined immunologic subtypes. Correlations between clinical and laboratory features were investigated at presentation. ALL of early-B phenotype associated with elevated cell counts occurred more often in female and infant patients than in male patients. Involvement of the central nervous system was frequent in B-ALL, which occurred mostly in male patients. A male prevalence was also seen in ALL of T-lineage in which significant differences regarding clinical characteristics and leukocyte counts appeared among the four subtypes. The clinical relevance of phenotypic subcategorization is supported by our observations.

Salicylate kinetics were determined in 28 subjects 25 to 92 years old who received single, oral doses of sodium salicylate (1 gm/1.73 m2). The serum AUCinfinity of total salicylate did not correlate with age. There was a weak positive correlation between the AUCinfinity of free (unbound) drug and age, but there was no apparent difference between the AUCinfinity values of the 15 women and 13 men. Seven of the 16 subjects greater than 70 years of age cleared salicylate at about the same rate as the younger subjects. A comparison of these seven subjects with the nine greater than 70 years old who were slow eliminators of salicylate revealed that the latter group consisted of more bedridden patients and that these patients had somewhat lower serum albumin concentrations, but they did not differ from the more rapid eliminators with respect to serum creatinine or urea nitrogen levels, SGOT, average age, female/male ratio, and average body weight. The serum protein binding of salicylate decreased with increasing age, apparently due mainly to decreasing serum albumin concentrations.