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PubMed1981

Ectopic pregnancy and intrauterine contraceptive devices: new perspectives. The Women's Health Study.

In the period 1965 through 1977 the number of ectopic pregnancies in the United States tripled. A collaborative multicenter case-control study was set up to examine ectopic pregnancy as well as several other suspected complications related to use of an intrauterine contraceptive device (IUD). To determine to what extent IUD use might be related to this increase, the authors analyzed 615 women who had had an ectopic pregnancy and 3453 controls. Most important, women who had never used an IUD were equally likely to have an ectopic pregnancy as women who had used an IUD. Looking at the comparative risks for current contraceptive users, all current users, including IUD users, were less likely to have had an ectopic pregnancy than women not currently using contraceptives. Likelihood of ectopic pregnancy was the same regardless of whether a copper-containing or an inert plastic IUD was used. Among current IUD users, those who had used an IUD for a long time (25 months or more) were 2.6 times as likely to have had an ectopic pregnancy as short-term (less than 25 months) users. This difference between long- and short-term IUD users persisted for some time (not longer than 1 year) after removal of the IUD. Use of the IUD probably did not play a role in the recent tripling of ectopic pregnancies in the United States.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Clinical presentation of ectopic pregnancy in Transkei, South Africa.

Due to advances in diagnostic techniques, it has become possible to identify and manage ectopic pregnancies before they cause clinical symptoms in many developed countries. However, the situation appears not to be the same in developing countries. We carried out a cross-sectional study at Umtata General Hospital, which serves an underprivileged black South African population in order to document the incidence, risk factors, clinical presentation and complications of ectopic pregnancy. We found the incidence of ectopic pregnancy was 11 per 1000 reported pregnancies, and the mortality rate was 2.0%. Of 148 consecutive cases of ectopic pregnancy, 62.2% were in shock and two thirds were severely anaemic on arrival. About 71% of the cases had tubal rupture and 25% were chronic leaking ectopics. Only four intact unruptured ectopics were found in spite of the availability of modern diagnostic techniques such as ultrasonography and sensitive pregnancy tests. About 86% of the cases had evidence of previous pelvic infection, thus making pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) the most important risk factor for ectopic pregnancy. We conclude that most ectopic pregnancies in Transkei are associated with previous pelvic infection, and still present as acute emergencies. Preventive measures should aim at controlling sexually transmitted diseases and PID.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

[Limits of ambulatory medical treatment of ectopic pregnancies by intramuscular methotrexate: prospective study on 54 patients].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the limits of ambulatory treatment of ectopic pregnancy with an intramuscular injection of 50 mg/m2 methotrexate. METHOD: Non randomised prospective study from october 1993 and april 1996 at Poissy Hospital. 100 ectopic pregnancies were diagnosed: 54 were treated medically and 46 had a surgical treatment. RESULTS: The mean hCG for the ectopic pregnancies treated medically was 7,273 Ul/ml +/- 12,548 (90-68,220), an ectopic mass was seen in 74% and to precise the diagnosis a currettage was done in 24 cases (44%) if the initial hCG was below 2,000 Ul/ml. The medical treatment was a success for 37 (68.5%) ectopic pregnancies with a mean time of resolution of hCG of 31.9 days +/- 18 (4-90) (with a positive correlation between initial hCG titer and time to resolution of 0.5, p = 0.001). For 15 (27%) patients a second dose of methotrexate was necessary with a 73% success rate and 17 (32%) patients were operated (8 salpingectomies). Sixteen of 20 (80%) demonstrated tubal patency at follow-up hysterosalpingogram and within 7.5 +/- 4 months 26 of 30 (87%) conceived and there was no recurrence of ectopic pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: The medical treatment of ectopic pregnancies with methotrexate has its limits. In our series, if we treat ectopic pregnancies without cardiac activity, with a mass below 35 mm and a hCG below 10,000 Ul/ml the success rate is 81%.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Ectopic pregnancy in sterilized and nonsterilized women. A comparison.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether differences occurred in the presentation, treatment and postoperative outcomes of ectopic pregnancy in sterilized and nonsterilized women. STUDY DESIGN: All cases of ectopic pregnancy admitted over five years at two hospitals were reviewed. Using a case-control method, patients with ectopic pregnancy and prior tubal sterilization were compared with the next nonsterilized patient with ectopic pregnancy admitted within 30 days. Statistical comparison, utilizing t tests, chi 2 tests of Fisher's exact test, when appropriate, was performed. RESULTS: Thirty-eight (18%) of 208 patients with ectopics during the study period had undergone prior sterilization. This group, when compared with the 38 nonsterilized patients with ectopics, was similar for gestational age at diagnosis, frequency of pelvic inflammatory and sexually transmitted diseases, and mean human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) level; the preoperative sonographic findings were also similar in the two groups. Sterilized patients were less likely than controls to have had serial hCG levels, while their mean duration of symptoms at admission was shorter. Although both groups had a similar distribution of surgical management (laparoscopy, laparotomy or both) and postoperative complications, there were trends toward a higher risk of ectopic rupture and hemoperitoneum in sterilized patients. CONCLUSION: Ectopic pregnancies following tubal sterilization have clinical manifestations and surgical outcomes similar to those occurring without prior sterilization, except for less frequent determination of serial hCGs, probably related to a shorter duration of reported preceding symptoms. The trend toward more frequent rupture and hemoperitoneum in this group suggests that sterilized patients are less likely to heed the early warnings of this complication.

Case-Control Studies↗

PubMed1998

Factors affecting ectopic gene conversion in mice.

Duplicated genes and repetitive sequences are distributed throughout the genomes of complex organisms. The homology between related sequences can promote nonallelic (ectopic) recombination, including gene conversion and reciprocal exchange. Resolution of these events can result in translocations, deletions, or other harmful rearrangements. In yeast, ectopic recombination between sequences on nonhomologous chromosomes occurs at high frequency. Because the mammalian genome is replete with duplicated sequences and repetitive elements, high levels of ectopic exchange would cause aneuploidy and genome instability. To understand the factors regulating ectopic recombination in mice, we evaluated the effects of homology length on gene conversion between unlinked sequences in the male germline. Previously, we found high levels of gene conversion between lacZ transgenes containing 2557 bp of homology. We report here that genetic background can play a major role in ectopic recombination; frequency of gene conversion was reduced by more than an order of magnitude by transferring the transgenes from a CF1 strain background to C57BL/6J. Additionally, conversion rates decreased as the homology length decreased. Sequences sharing 1214 bp of sequence identity underwent ectopic conversion less frequently than a pair sharing 2557 bp of identity, while 624 bp was insufficient to catalyze gene conversion at significant levels. These results suggest that the germline recombination machinery in mammals has evolved in a way that prevents high levels of ectopic recombination between smaller classes of repetitive sequences, such as the Alu family. Additionally, genomic location appeared to influence the availability of sequences for ectopic recombination.

Animals↗

PubMed2026

Identification and characterization of ectopic chromosomal amplifications in acute myeloid leukemia cell limes using high-throughput chromosome conformation capture screening.

Despite advanced molecular diagnostics, improving outcomes for refractory acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains challenging. Although many cancer-related genes are identified, their molecular mechanisms are not fully elucidated. Amplification is a mechanism of cancer-associated gene activation, and ectopic gene amplification may have particularly high pathological significance. However, research on ectopically amplified cancer-associated genes in leukemia remains limited. Here, we evaluated the usefulness of high-throughput chromosomal conformation capture (Hi-C) as a screening method for ectopic gene amplification and assessed whether ectopic amplification of cancer-associated genes may represent a general phenomenon in AML. We screened the U-937 and NB-4 cell lines using in situ Hi-C. Regions appearing as "high-intensity bands" in Hi-C contact maps were identified and validated using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Additionally, copy number variation analysis was performed using whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to extract cancer-associated genes with ectopic amplification. In the U-937, three genomic regions showing "high-intensity bands" were identified and confirmed as ectopic amplifications-including PDCD1LG2 (PD-L2), CD274 (PD-L1), and JAK2; that is, four copies were detected by WGS, and amplification signals were observed by FISH. In the NB-4, four such regions were detected, including MYC and KRAS, with expression level of 498 transcripts per million (TPM) and 34 TPM, respectively. Copy number variation analysis further identified multiple cancer-associated genes with ectopic amplification. Overall, these findings demonstrate the presence of ectopic amplification of cancer-associated genes in AML cell lines and support the usefulness of Hi-C as a screening method for detecting such genomic alterations.

Acute myeloid leukemia↗

PubMed1977

Clinical significance of ventricular ectopic beats in the early posthospital phase of myocardial infarction.

The clinical significance of ventricular ectopic beats in the posthospital phase of myocardial infarction was studied in 272 patients aged 65 years or less who were followed up for 1 year after the infarction. Ventricular ectopic beats, identified in 6 hour electrocardiographic tape recordings, obtained before hospital discharge (study 1) and 5 months after discharge (study 2) increased in frequency and complexity in the 5 month interval. Ventricular ectopic beats at a rate of 20 or more per hour recorded before discharge were associated with complex ventricular ectopic patterns in the same 6 hour recording and with frequent (20 or more per hour), early cycle and bigeminal patterns in recordings mad 5 months later. Analysis with log-linear modeling indicated that the occurrence of complex ventricular ectopic beats at follow-up examination was associated with the concomitant use of antiarrhythmic agents,but not with use of digitalis, propranolol or tranquilizers. A ventricular ectopic beat frequency of 20 or more per hour at discharge was associated with increased (P less than 0.05) cardiac mortality in the initial 0 to 4 months after discharge but not in the subsequent 8 months; ectopic beats recorded in the 5 month follow-up study were not associated with increased cardiac mortality in the subsequent 5 to 12 months. The prognostic significance of ventricular ectopic beats is discussed in the light of these findings.

Aged↗

PubMed2001

Ion channels associated with the ectopic discharges generated after segmental spinal nerve injury in the rat.

In an attempt to identify important ion channels contributing to the generation of ectopic discharges, the present study examined the effects of ion channel blockers on ectopic discharges of injured sensory neurons after spinal nerve ligation. The main focus of the study was to examine the effect of the sodium channel blocker, tetrodotoxin (TTX), in order to identify important subtype(s) (i.e. TTX-sensitive and TTX-resistant) of sodium channels that are involved in ectopic discharge generation. In addition, the effects of potassium and calcium channel blockers were also tested for comparison with the results of previous studies. The dorsal root ganglion (DRG) of the injured segment was removed along with the dorsal root (DR) and the spinal nerve 7-14 days after spinal nerve ligation in the rat. The tissue was placed in an in-vitro recording chamber consisting of multiple compartments that were independently perfused with 35 degrees C artificial cerebrospinal fluid (ACSF). Single unit recordings were made from teased DR fibers. Once a spontaneously active unit was found and characterized, ACSF containing a channel blocker was perfused to the DRG, the site where almost all ectopic discharges originate after spinal nerve ligation. All the recorded spontaneously active units were found to be Abeta and Adelta fibers (no C fibers were detected). Perfusion of the DRG with a sodium channel blocker (lidocaine) at a dose much less than that required to block conduction of action potentials, significantly inhibited ectopic discharges in all recorded fibers. In addition, ectopic discharges were inhibited by TTX perfused to the DRG at a dose much lower (average of 22.1 nM) than that required to block TTX-resistant subtypes of sodium channels. The data suggest that TTX-sensitive sodium channels are likely to be involved in the generation of ectopic discharges. The present study also confirmed the results of previous studies on the additional potential roles of potassium and calcium channels, thus suggesting that multiple ion channels are likely to be involved in the generation of ectopic discharges.

4-Aminopyridine↗

PubMed1997

Increased expression of complement component 3 in human ectopic endometrium compared with the matched eutopic endometrium.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the gene expression of complement component 3 (C3) in human eutopic and ectopic endometrium. DESIGN: A prospective, controlled study. SETTING: Academic hospital. PATIENT(S): Women with documented endometriosis. INTERVENTION(S): Eutopic and ectopic endometrial tissues were collected simultaneously at laparoscopy. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Detection of C3 messenger RNA (mRNA) by in situ hybridization and C3 protein by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. RESULT(S): Expression of C3 mRNA increased in ectopic endometrium compared with that in the matched eutopic endometrium. The quantitative analysis of C3 mRNA by grain count (mean +/- SE) showed 175.60 +/- 40.02 and 39.97 +/- 8.17 grains per micron2 in ectopic and eutopic glands, respectively, and 67.65 +/- 29.82 and 15.02 +/- 5.80 grains per micron2 in ectopic and eutopic stroma, respectively. Expression of C3 mRNA in ectopic glands was significantly higher than that in eutopic glands. The pattern of immunoreactive staining of C3 protein was consistent with that of C3 mRNA. A higher level of C3 protein in ectopic endometrium than eutopic endometrium was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot. CONCLUSION(S): Expression of C3 mRNA and protein significantly increased in human ectopic endometrium compared with that in the matched eutopic endometrium.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Ectopic and undescended testes: 2 variants of a single congenital anomaly?

PURPOSE: We compared pathological findings in ectopic and undescended testis to determine whether the pathological evidence supports the hypothesis that the 2 conditions are variants of the same congenital anomaly. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We identified 24 boys with ectopic testis not in the superficial inguinal pouch of Denis Browne. Seven boys were excluded from study due to unavailable clinical records for 3, contralateral undescended testis in 2 and inadequate biopsy specimens in 2. Pathological findings of ectopic testis in the remaining 17 patients were compared with those of age matched patients with unilateral undescended testis. Total germ cell count, testicular volume, patency of the processus vaginalis and epididymal abnormalities were compared. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon matched pairs signed rank and Fisher's exact tests. RESULTS: No difference was noted in total germ cell count (p = 0.33), testicular volume (p = 0.1475), processus vaginalis patency (p = 0.0854) or epididymal abnormalities (p = 1.00) in the 2 groups. Of the 24 boys (8%) with ectopic testis 2 also had a contralateral undescended testis. CONCLUSIONS: Similar pathological findings in ectopic and undescended testes as well as the association of ectopic testis with a contralateral undescended testis suggest that ectopic and undescended testes are variants of the same congenital anomaly. Thus, boys with ectopic testis may have an increased incidence of subfertility and testicular malignancy. This spectrum of abnormal testicular position, and its range of pathological conditions and complications may appropriately be called the undescended testis sequence.

Abdomen↗

PubMed1997

A study of ruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Ectopic pregnancy continues to be a leading cause of maternal morbidity and of reduced childbearing potential among women of reproductive age. Because of tubal rupture it is still the main cause of pregnancy-related death during the first trimester. The purpose of our study was to evaluate factors that may predispose a woman to rupture of a tubal ectopic pregnancy. METHODS: In this retrospective study of 693 ectopic pregnancies from three McGill University teaching hospitals, we compared risk factors, preoperative ultrasound, and serum hCG levels between cases with ruptured and unruptured tubal ectopic pregnancy. RESULTS: The age and the number of pregnancies among the two groups of women were similar. The gestational age of women with an unruptured tube was 6.9 +/- 1.9 weeks, and of those with a ruptured tube, the gestational age was 7.2 +/- 2.2 weeks. Tubal rupture was encountered more often in women with at least one child than in childless women. History of ectopic pregnancy was found in 35% of women with an unruptured tubal pregnancy and in 26% of those with a ruptured tube. Serum hCG levels at the time of treatment were not significantly different among the two groups of women. Eleven percent of women with a ruptured tube had serum beta-hCG levels of less that 100 IU/L. CONCLUSION: Tubal rupture is encountered more often in women with no history of ectopic pregnancy and in those with at least one child. This suggests that ectopic pregnancy is less suspected in these women. Tubal rupture is encountered less often in ampullary pregnancy and in small ectopic pregnancies. There is no correlation between serum beta-hCG levels and tubal rupture, and rupture can occur even when serum beta-hCG levels are very low.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Automatic ectopic beat elimination in short-term heart rate variability measurement.

Our studies deal with fully automatic measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) in short term electrocardiograms. Presently, all existing HRV analysis programs require user intervention for ectopic beat identification, especially of supraventricular ectopic beats (SVE). This makes the HRV measurement in large, e.g. epidemiological studies problematic. In this paper, we present a fully automatic algorithm for the discrimination of the ventricular (VE) and SVE ectopic beats from the normal QRS complexes suited for a reliable HRV analysis. The QRS identification is based on the template matching method. The ectopic beats are identified based on several morphological and timing properties of the electrocardiogram (ECG) signal. The method incorporates several approaches and makes HRV analysis of large numbers of electrocardiograms feasible. It uses the template matching for the basic morphology check of the QRS complex and the P-wave, the timing information to avoid unnecessary ectopic beat checks and to adjust thresholds and it also looks for a special QRS morphology, which is common in VEs. We used a testing set of 69 electrocardiograms selected from a large number of recordings. The selected ECGs contained abnormalities including ectopic beats, right branch bundle block, respiratory arrhythmia, blocked atrial extrasystole, high amplitude and wide T-waves. The evaluation of our method showed a specificity of 0.99, supraventricular ectopic beat sensitivity of 0.99 and ventricular ectopic beat sensitivity of 0.98.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2000

Ectopic Sox3 activity elicits sensory placode formation.

The induction of sensory organ placodes, in particular the lens placode, represents the paradigm for induction. We show that medaka Sox3 is expressed in the neuroectoderm and in the placodes of all sensory organs prior to placode formation and subsequently in placode-derived tissues. Ectopic Sox3 expression leads to ectopic expression of Pax6 and Eya1 in embryonic ectoderm and causes ectopic lens and otic vesicle formation. The descendants of cells ectopically expressing Sox3-mRNA contribute to ectopic lens tissue. This suggests a permissive role for Sox3 in establishing a placodal competence. In addition, ectopic Sox3 expression leads to the dysgenesis of the endogenous sensory organs. Both effects of ectopic Sox3 expression can be separated by ectopic expression of a truncated Sox3 variant depending on its expression level. Our data suggests that Sox3 is a permissive factor for sensory placode formation and plays an important role in sensory organ development.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed1999

Ectopic pharynxes arise by regional reorganization after anterior/posterior chimera in planarians.

To elucidate the mechanisms underlying pharynx regeneration in planarians, we transplanted pieces excised from various regions of the body into the prepharyngeal or postpharyngeal region, since it has been shown that such transplantation experiments can induce ectopic pharynx formation. We confirmed the ectopic formation of pharynxes by expression of the myosin heavy chain gene specific to pharynx muscles (DjMHC-A). To investigate the cellular events after grafting, we also stained such transplanted worms by in situ hybridization using neuronal cell- and mucous producing cell-type-specific marker genes which can detect formation of brain and prepharyngeal region, respectively. When the head piece was transplanted into the tail region, ectopic formation of the head, prepharyngeal and pharynx region was observed in the postpharyngeal region anterior to the graft, while these organs were formed in the reversed polarity along the anterior-posterior (A-P) axis. Furthermore, in the tail region posterior to the graft, ectopic formation of the prepharyngeal and pharynx region was observed. In the reverse combination, when a tail piece was transplanted into the prepharyngeal region, ectopic formation of prepharyngeal and pharynx region was observed in the region between the head and the graft, and an additional ectopic pharynx was also formed in reverse polarity in the region between the graft and host pharynx. These results clearly indicated that ectopic pharynxes were formed as a consequence of the regional reorganization induced by interaction between the host and graft. Furthermore, chimeric analyses demonstrated that the cells participating in ectopic pharynx formation were not exclusively derived from the host or donor cells in the worm, suggesting that the stem cells of the host and donor may change their differentiation pattern due to altered regionality. To further investigate if regional reorganization is induced after grafting, expression of a Hox gene was analyzed in the transplanted worms by whole-mount in situ hybridization. The expression of the Hox gene along the A-P axis was apparently rearranged after grafting of the head piece into the tail region. These results suggest that grafting of the head piece may rearrange the regionality of the host tail, and that stem cells in the region newly defined as pharynx-forming may start to regenerate a pharynx.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

The role of atrial ectopics in initiating paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.

AIMS: To characterize the nature and timing of atrial ectopics preceding clinical episodes of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Holter recordings (n= 177, 60 patients, 58% male, mean age 61.7 +/- 11.5 years) were performed on patients with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation. These were subjected to standard analysis and recordings containing atrial fibrillation episodes suitable for analysis were identified (n = 74). Beat interval files differentiating sinus rhythm from atrial fibrillation were generated and atrial ectopics were identified. Atrial ectopics preceding atrial fibrillation were found to be more frequent (5.07 +/- 7.39 min(-1)) and more premature (ratio of coupling interval to that of surrounding sinus cycles = 0.56 +/- 0.08) compared to ectopics occurring remote from atrial fibrillation episodes (frequency = 3.60 +/- 7.32 min(-1) P = 5 x 10(-24), prematurity ratio = 0.60 +/- 0.10, P = 2 x 10(-73)). Atrial ectopic coupling interval frequency histograms were generated and analysed visually and by an automated statistically based test. Many ectopics were seen to occur at one coupling interval in 27 recordings (in eight this occurred only preceding atrial fibrillation onset, while in a further 19 cases this was also seen remote from atrial fibrillation onset). Overall 45% of ectopics preceding atrial fibrillation episodes occurred in isolation, 13% as part of a bigeminal rhythm, 22% as couplets and 20% as runs. This pattern did not differ from that seen remote from atrial fibrillation episodes. CONCLUSION: Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation is preceded by ectopics of a fixed coupling interval in a significant proportion of patients. If, as seems likely, this is a marker of 'focally mediated' atrial fibrillation, then Holter techniques may provide a useful screening tool with which to identify patients suitable for fuller electrophysiological assessment.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Ectopic dendrites occur only on cortical pyramidal cells containing elevated GM2 ganglioside in alpha-mannosidosis.

In a variety of neuronal storage diseases, cortical pyramidal cells elaborate ectopic dendrites at the axon hillock. A feature common to all the diseases characterized by ectopic dendrites is an elevated level of GM2 ganglioside in cerebral cortex. In cats with one such disease, alpha-mannosidosis, the number of pyramidal cells bearing ectopic dendrites is small; the present study shows that GM2 ganglioside is stored only in those pyramidal neurons exhibiting ectopic dendrites. Using a Golgi-electron microscopy method with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, we first established that pyramidal cells bearing ectopic dendrites contained PAS+ membranous inclusions, consistent with storage of glycolipids. In contrast, those with smooth axon hillocks accumulated PAS- floccular inclusions, consistent with storage of oligosaccharides. Next, application of a monoclonal antibody against GM2 ganglioside revealed that subsets of both pyramidal and intrinsic neurons contained GM2-like immunoreactivity. Every GM2+ cell contained PAS+ membranous inclusions, indicating that pyramidal cells bearing ectopic dendrites stored GM2 ganglioside. In cats with alpha-mannosidosis induced by swainsonine, some pyramidal neurons showed GM2-like immunoreactivity after 4 weeks of treatment, whereas ectopic dendrites only became evident after 7 weeks of treatment. Thus, GM2 ganglioside accumulated in pyramidal neurons before ectopic dendrites emerged from the axon hillock. We propose that the reinitiation of dendrite growth on mature pyramidal cells is brought about by accumulated GM2 ganglioside.

Animals↗

PubMed1999

Towards the modern management of ectopic pregnancy: a complete audit cycle of practice in a London teaching hospital.

We carried out a complete audit cycle of the management of ectopic pregnancy at a London teaching hospital over 2 years. Case notes of women presenting to St George's Hospital, London in 1995 with ectopic pregnancy were examined and management was assessed. The targets were low rates of rupture, high rates of sonographic diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy, acceptable rates of tubal conservation and laparoscopic surgery. We also considered levels of training of junior doctors in laparoscopic surgery for ectopic pregnancy and the acceptable duration of hospital stay for patients. Recommendations were made, the standards were modified, and the audit repeated for the year 1996. A substantial improvement in the quality of care of women with ectopic pregnancy was achieved. The main improvement was in the ultrasonographic diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy. There was also a reduction in ectopic pregnancies which were ruptured, possibly due to earlier diagnosis. The percentage of cases treated laparoscopically remained stable. More junior doctors performed laparoscopic surgery for the condition. Finally, we confirmed that laparoscopic management of ectopic pregnancy significantly reduces duration of hospital stay, conferring advantages to both patient and hospital.

Journal Article↗

PubMed1998

The M26 hotspot of Schizosaccharomyces pombe stimulates meiotic ectopic recombination and chromosomal rearrangements.

Homologous recombination is increased during meiosis between DNA sequences at the same chromosomal position (allelic recombination) and at different chromosomal positions (ectopic recombination). Recombination hotspots are important elements in controlling meiotic allelic recombination. We have used artificially dispersed copies of the ade6 gene in Schizosaccharomyces pombe to study hotspot activity in meiotic ectopic recombination. Ectopic recombination was reduced 10-1000-fold relative to allelic recombination, and was similar to the low frequency of ectopic recombination between naturally repeated sequences in S. pombe. The M26 hotspot was active in ectopic recombination in some, but not all, integration sites, with the same pattern of activity and inactivity in ectopic and allelic recombination. Crossing over in ectopic recombination, resulting in chromosomal rearrangements, was associated with 35-60% of recombination events and was stimulated 12-fold by M26. These results suggest overlap in the mechanisms of ectopic and allelic recombination and indicate that hotspots can stimulate chromosomal rearrangements.

Alleles↗