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Ectrodactyly (split hand/split foot malformation, SHSF) is a human limb malformation characterized by absent central digital rays, deep median cleft, and syndactyly of remaining digits. The disorder is genetically heterogeneous, with at least two loci thus far determined: an autosomal locus at 7q21 designated SHFM1 and an X-linked locus at Xq26 designated SHFM2. Cytogenetic analysis of sporadic SHSF patients and linkage studies in extended pedigrees both suggest more than one autosomal locus exists. We report a novel SHSF locus suggested by a stillborn infant with ectrodactyly and other malformations who inherited an unbalanced translocation resulting in monosomy 4p15.1-4pter and trisomy for 10q25.2-qter. To investigate 10q25 as a possible split hand/split foot locus, microsatellite markers spanning 52 cM of 10q were utilized for linkage analysis of a large autosomal dominant SHSF pedigree in which the region encompassing SHFM1 previously was excluded as containing the causative mutation. The marker D10S583 was fully informative in the family, giving a maximum LOD score of 4.21 at recombination theta = 0.00. Recombination haplotypes define the 9 cM region between D10S541 and D10S574 as inclusive for this second autosomal SHSF locus, for which we propose the designation SHFM3.

Bofinger et al. [Am J Med Genet 38:1-8, 1991] reported on a four-generation family with an unusual segregation pattern involving a translocation t(10;16)(q26.3;p13.1). All relatives either had a balanced or unbalanced translocation. We report on five additional relatives, none of whom have a normal karyotype. This unusual segregation pattern may be due to chance or be the result of meiotic drive.

Esthesioneuroblastoma is a rare malignancy believed to be derived from neuroectodermal stem cells within the olfactory epithelium. We have obtained the karyotype of a primary esthesioneuroblastoma following brief (7-day) in vitro culture, and have determined that the only observable cytogenetic anomaly is the presence of an additional chromosome 8. Previously, the karyotypes of two cell lines established from metastatic esthesioneuroblastomas have been reported to contain the equivalent of three copies of chromosome 8, in addition to other chromosomal aberrations, including the reciprocal translocation, t(11;22)(q24;q12). Examination of the cytogenetic literature suggests that an extra copy of chromosome 8 is a common occurrence in undifferentiated small round cell tumors frequently observed to carry the t(11;22), including esthesioneuroblastoma, Ewing's sarcoma, peripheral neuroepithelioma, Askin's tumor, and rhabdomyosarcoma. These data, combined with our report of a small round cell tumor with the karyotype 47,XY,+8, indicate that trisomy 8 may be a common phenomenon in these tumors, and may also provide some sort of selective advantage to these tumor types.

The first 2,013 fetuses in 2,000 patients undergoing genetic amniocentesis at our institution were analyzed for the incidence of abnormal findings and for the safety and accuracy of the procedure. One percent of the patients were found to have aneuploid fetuses and another 1% were found to have elevated amniotic fluid concentrations of alpha-fetoprotein. Advanced maternal age was the indication for amniocentesis in 84% of the women with aneuploid fetuses. Thirty-two (1.6%) of the pregnancies ended in spontaneous abortion and 35 (1.7%) were terminated because of abnormal results of the prenatal diagnostic procedure. Our error rate was 0.15%, and tissue culture was successful in 97.7% of the procedures. During the latter part of our experience concurrent ultrasonography was utilized with the amniocentesis, resulting in a reduction in blood-tinged specimens from 15.0% to 5.2%. In experienced hands, midtrimester amniocentesis for the purpose of prenatal diagnosis of genetically determined defects is a safe, accurate, and valuable procedure for the identification of fetal abnormalities.

Primary cultures of rabbit VX-2 carcinoma appeared to be heterogeneous, containing at least two morphologically distinct cell types, fibroblast-like cells (F cells) and epithelioid cells (E cells). Ultrastructural studies suggested that the E cells were of epithelial origin, whereas the F cells did not differ significantly from normal rabbit fibroblasts. Cytogenetic studies showed that the E cells were characterized by numerical and structural chromosomal changes which remained constant subsequent to serial in vitro culture and in vivo transplants in rabbits. Analysis of G-banded chromosomes from E cells revealed a modal number of 54 with relatively few normal chromosomes and a variety of distinctive, mostly unidentifiable marker chromosomes. The origin of only four marker chromosomes could be partially determined. The ratio of normal to marker chromosomes remained relatively constant following serial transplants in rabbits. The F cells appeared to be derived mainly from host tissue, as they contained a normal diploid complement with sex chromosomes corresponding to the sex of the host.