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Background: Biliary obstruction impairs liver function although the pathophysiolagical mechanism is incompletely understood. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine serial changes in liver metabolism in patients with [...]

Clearance of circulating fetal DNA in maternal plasma after delivery has been studied using quantitative PCR analysis of the sex-determining region Y gene as a marker for male fetuses. Plasma samples from 12 women were analyzed 1-42 days after males were born. The mean half-life for circulating fetal DNA was 16.3 min, the range being 4-30 min. Plasma DNA analysis may be less susceptible to false-positive results due to carryover from other pregnancies than detection of fetal cells in maternal blood. The quick clearance may be useful for monitoring feto-maternal events that occur rapidly.

Analyzing a pregnant woman's blood for fetal DNA appears to be an effective way of detecting fetal RhD status. Various complications can arise if the mother is RhD-negative but the fetus is RhD-positive. Researchers used the polymerase chain reaction to detect and classify fetal DNA in blood samples from 57 RhD-negative pregnant women whose partners had one RhD gene. In women in their second or third trimester, PCR analysis of fetal DNA agreed with analyses of fetal cord blood. Thirty-nine fetuses were RhD-positive and 18 were RhD-negative.

A real-time method for quantitative PCR assay of the concentration of fetal DNA in maternal serum and plasma has been developed. There are implications for noninvasive prenatal diagnosis. Fetal DNA has now been shown to be in high concentrations in maternal plasma and it can be detected in the seventh gestational week. Concentration increases as the pregnancy goes on.

The international telemedicine conference Chinese TeleMed 96 was held in November 1996. This three-way teleconference included delegates in London (where the international telemedicine conference TeleMed 96 was taking place) and medical staff from one Beijing hospital and one Hong Kong medical faculty. In total, over 1000 health-care personnel across eight time-zones participated. The event demonstrated that the quality of teleconferencing technology was suitable for medical teaching, for providing medical consultations to remote locations and for stimulating medical exchanges. In general, planning a telemedicine conference requires a longer lead time, a wider representation of expertise in the organizing committee and more financial resources than conventional conferences. It is recommended that the aim and format of a telemedicine conference be determined at least one year before the target date. Criteria for improving the preparation of such conferences have been identified and a set of guidelines for future conference organizers has been drawn up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deregulation of the G1/S checkpoint is a frequent event in the development of glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Previous studies have shown more than 50% of primary GBM tumours contain either complete loss of the p16[sup INK4a] locus or amplification of the CDK4 gene. Moreover, many heterozygosity studies have shown deletion on human chromosome 19p13.2, where the p19[sup INK4d] gene has been localized. We examined the expression of p19[sup INK4d] and its two CDK substrates in a series of glioma-derived cell lines and tumours. No gene rearrangement or deletion was observed in the p19[sup INK4d] gene in these cell lines; however, expression of CDK4 and CDK6 was elevated relative to matched normal brain tissue in eight of 18 GBM tumours (44%). Furthermore, CDK6 expression level was increased in 12/14 glioblastomas, but undetectable in tumour samples of a previous lower grade tumour from the same patient. These data attest to the functional importance of both CDK4 and CDK6 in astrocytic tumourigenesis, particularly during the later stages of tumour progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]