PubMed · 17229954
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Roger Smith. 2007-01-18. Parturition.. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmra061360
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Thoracoamniotic shunting in fetal pleural effusion has poor results, with an overall survival of less than 50% when hydrops is associated. Those cases without hydrops presented the best evolution, but the indication in these cases remains controversial. We present a dichorionic diamniotic twin pregnancy at 29 weeks' with right pleural effusion and hydrops, in which one fetus presented diaphragm inversion and mediastinal shift, both considered as ultrasonographic signs of thoracic hypertension. A thoracoamniotic shunt reversed these signs immediately. Nevertheless, 1 week after, these signs and skin edema reappeared and the effusion increased, leading to a second thoracocenthesis for drainage and intrathoracic pressure measurement. Amniotic fluid and intrathoracic pressures were found at 21 and 39 mm Hg, respectively. A cesarean section was performed and the catheter was found to be obliterated by cellular detritus of leukocytes and fibrin. Our conclusion is that ultrasonographic signs of elevated thoracic pressure are a keystone for the shunt indication, and that this could be corroborated by direct measurements. This can be an important parameter for precise indication of thoracoamniotic shunting.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the efficacy of amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) and/or botulinum toxin type A-induced ptosis (Dysport) in the treatment of corneal ulcerations of different entities. METHODS: Retrospective evaluation of 137 cases of corneal ulcers which have been treated with AMT, botulinum toxin type A and perforating keratoplasty (pKP). Regarding corneal ulcerations the patients were divided into three groups: group A, patients initially having received an AMT (92 eyes eventually followed by AMT or pKP as a second intervention); group B, patients initially having received an AMT (32 eyes followed by botulinum toxin type A injection in the upper lid as a second intervention); group C, patients initially treated only by botulinum toxin type A injection (13 eyes followed occasionally by AMT or pKP or additional botulinum toxin type A injection). Additionally, we analysed the complete epithelialisation rate of the ocular surface in respect to different ocular and systemic diseases and compared the frequency of re-operations in each group. RESULTS: The overall follow-up was 14.2 (+/-14.7 months; range from 1 to 60 months). The total frequency of re-operations was 45.3% (overall time until complete epithelialisation 12.7 (+/-6.1) days). If the patient was initially treated with an AMT (group A), the re-operation rate was 44.6%. Treating affected eyes in this group with a subsequent amniotic membrane resulted in a reduction of re-operation rate to 30.4%. In cases with induced ptosis by injecting botulinum toxin type A in the M. levator palpebrae (group B), the re-operation frequency could be reduced to 34.4% with similar times of epithelialisation [group A: 12.0 (+/-6.5) days and group B: 11.7 (+/-5.5) days]. In group C, with botulinum toxin type A alone initially, the re-operation rate of 69.2% was the highest one compared with groups A and B; this rate could be drastically reduced by a following AMT to 23.1%. Surprisingly, in the few successful cases with botulinum toxin type A alone a quite low epithelialisation time of 6.5 (+/-1.3) days was achieved, but turned out to be similar after additional interventions if compared with the other groups (botulinum toxin type A + AMT: 15.7 (+/-4.9) day). CONCLUSION: AMT alone and combined with botulinum toxin type A-induced ptosis is an effective surgical approach for managing severe corneal ulcerations by promoting wound healing and stabilizing ocular surface homeostasis.
In nonhuman primates (NHPs), there have so far been few reports about nuclear transfer (NT), especially using adult somatic cells. The objective of this study was to determine the developmental competence of NT embryos derived from various somatic cells embryonic stem (ES), amniotic epithelial, cumulus, or fetal fibroblast cells] and the nuclear transfer method, such as electro fusion or piezo microinjection, activation with chemical reagent [ionomycine/6-dimethylaminopurine (DMAP), calcium ionophore A23187/DMAP, or cycloheximide (CHX)] and reprogramming time (1, 2, or 4 h; in this study, the duration from injection or fusion to activation was defined as the reprogramming time). Our results showed that a 1-h reprogramming and activation with ionomycin/DMAP are suitable for NT in monkeys. Developing cleaved embryos up to the six-cell stage was similar among all experiments. However, beyond the eight-cell stage, developmental rates were higher in NT embryos reconstructed with fetal fibroblast cells and amniotic epithelial cells, and we were able to produce NT blastocysts from these cells. Interestingly, electro fusion is sufficient for amniotic epithelial cells and piezo microinjection is better suited for fetal fibroblast cells to produce NT blastocysts, thus suggesting that the best method for somatic cell NT may be different between cell types.