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PubMed1997

Relationships of light and heavy fetuses to uterine position, placental weight, gestational age, and fetal cholesterol concentrations.

With emphasis on increasing litter size to improve productivity and profitability, lightweight pigs born will increase in number as litter size increases and may be problematic due to reduced neonatal survival of lightweight pigs. To study developmental aspects of lightweight fetuses, fetal and placental weights were evaluated at three stages of pregnancy (30, 70, and 104 d) from white composite gilts (n = 88, 123, and 135, respectively) in relation to uterine position of light and heavy fetuses. Fetal cholesterol concentrations were analyzed at the beginning (d 70) and end (d 104) of the in utero growth phase (last third of gestation). At 30 d of gestation, no differences were noted between fetal weight and position within the uterine horn, but at 70 d and 104 d of pregnancy, heavy fetuses were found at the tubal ends and light fetuses at the cervical ends of the uterus. Using the criteria of +/- 1 SD or +/- 2 SD of the mean and lower and upper 10 or 20% of fetal weights for each gestational age, light and heavy fetuses in conjunction with their placentas were different from population means at all stages of gestation. Cholesterol concentrations were lower in light fetuses (d 104) and increased in heavy fetuses. In 28 litters (d 104) selected for extremes in within-litter fetal weights, concentrations of IGF-I increased with fetal weight (P < .01), which suggests that growth and development of lightweight pigs may be limited by critical endocrine components.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Acid-base relationship between mother and fetus in gestosis (pre-eclampsia) and in pregnant women with a labile blood pressure.

Simultaneous blood microsamples were taken from the maternal ear and uterine cervix and the fetus of healthy pregnant women, those with labile hypertension, and those with severe gestosis (pre-eclampsia). The po2, pH, BE and pco2 were studied. The fetuses showed no signs of asphyxia. The differences in BE values between the women withe gestosis and their fetuses were significantly greater than in the cases of healthy pregnancy. No differences were seen between healthy and gestotic gravida groups in po2, pH and pco2 values. This favours the opinion that in gestosis of the mother the fetus has a tendency to metabolic acidosis, which apparently places it in a poorer position than the fetuses of healthy mothers, should acute asphyxia occur. At the time of study the po2 of the fetuses of gravidas with a labile blood pressure was lower than that of fetuses of healthy gravidas.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Pathology of lymphoid organs in low-birth-weight human fetuses subjected to antigen-induced influences: a morphological and morphometric study.

To evaluate the pathology of lymphoid organs in low-birth-weight (LBW) human fetuses obtained after premature birth, morphological and morphometric features were studied. The ages of fetuses ranged from 22 to 32 weeks and their weights from 400 to 1180 g. In fetuses at 22-23 weeks without antigenic effects, the lymphoid organs were seen to be well developed and their differentiation was similar to that of full-term fetuses. In older unaffected fetuses (up to 32 weeks), a significant increase in size of the lymphoid organs and a rise in the rate of the differentiation of lymphoid cells were observed. Fetuses exposed to antigen-related diseases underwent morphological changes in lymphoid organs presumably as a consequence of the primary fetal immune reaction. These changes were characterized by a high increase in the number of lymphoblasts and partly of macrophages in the spleen and lymph nodes. Reactive centers in spleen follicles and in lymph nodes, and plasmocytes in all the lymphoid organs, were absent. The main reaction to severe antigenic influences was decompensation of the lymphoid organs manifested morphologically by their devastation as a result of a decrease in the number of small lymphocytes and, in severe cases, of lymphoblasts and macrophages. Exposure of fetuses to antigen-related diseases thus appears to cause marked changes in the normal ontogenesis of lymphoid organs.

Antigens↗
PubMed1996

Correlation between nuchal thickness and abnormal karyotype in first trimester fetuses.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasound measurement of nuchal thickness in first trimester fetuses for predicting fetal karyotype. DESIGN: A prospective study of the nuchal thickness of fetuses measured during an ultrasound examination in all women undergoing first trimester chorionic villus sampling (CVS). SETTING: Two major public hospitals and two associated private practices between 7 September 1993 and 6 September 1994. PARTICIPANTS: Pregnant women with various indications for CVS (in 82% because of maternal age). RESULTS: 1306 women underwent CVS, including 11 with twin pregnancies: 1317 fetuses were tested. Karyotype results were obtained for 1312 fetuses: 41 (3.1%) had an abnormal karyotype, and 20 of these (49%) had a nuchal thickness measurement of 3 mm or more, compared with 44 (3.5%) of the 1271 fetuses with a normal karyotype. Of the 21 fetuses shown to have trisomy 21, 12 would have been detected if a nuchal thickness of 3 mm or more had been used as an indicator, giving a sensitivity of 57%. Nuchal thickness measurements of 1 or 2 mm excluded trisomy 21 with a negative predictive value of 99.3%. Fetuses with moderate nuchal thickening, normal karyotype and no other problems noted on the initial ultrasound scan had neonatal outcomes similar to those in the general obstetric population. CONCLUSION: Nuchal thickening in the first trimester (10 weeks on) of pregnancy in a high risk population is a powerful indicator of increased risk of aneuploidy.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Fetal and embryonic hemoglobins in erythroblasts of chromosomally normal and abnormal fetuses at 10-40 weeks of gestation.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: During fetal development a change in erythropoiesis from hepatic to medullary site occurs. In chromosomally abnormal fetuses this change is delayed. Hemoglobin production also undergoes developmental switches from embryonic to fetal hemoglobins in the first trimester of pregnancy. The aim of study was to determine the proportion of embryonic and fetal hemoglobins in fetal erythroblasts of chromosomally normal and abnormal fetuses at 10-40 weeks of gestation. DESIGN AND METHODS: Fetal blood was obtained from 93 chromosomally normal and 19 abnormal fetuses at 10-40 weeks of gestation. Fetal erythroblasts were isolated by triple density gradient centrifugation and magnetic cell sorting with CD71 antibody. Fluorescent antibodies were used to immuno-stain for zeta (zeta), epsilon (epsilon) and gamma (gamma) hemoglobin chains. RESULTS: The percentages of the positively stained cells were calculated. In chromosomally normal fetuses the percentage of erythroblasts expressing the zeta chain was 25% at 10 weeks but this decreased exponentially with gestation to less than 1% by 17 weeks. Similarly, the percentage of cells expressing the epsilon chain decreased from 97% at 10 weeks to less than 1% by 25 weeks. In contrast, expression of the gamma chain increased from about 30% at 10 weeks to 90% by 16 weeks and decreased thereafter to 60% at 40 weeks. In the abnormal fetuses, the percentage of erythroblasts expressing the zeta chain and the epsilon chain decreased to less than 1% by 23 and 28 weeks respectively, while maximum expression of the gamma chain was at about 22 weeks. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: In the chromosomally abnormal group the pattern of change in the expression of the various hemoglobin chains during gestation was similar to that in the normal fetuses but was delayed by three to six weeks. These findings suggest that in fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities there is a developmental delay in the switch from embryonic to fetal hemoglobin chains.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Fetus in fetu.

Fetus in fetu (FIF) is a very rare condition, with a reported incidence of one in 500,000 live births. It most likely represents a monozygotic diamniotic twin that implants itself and grows within the body of its normal karyotypically identical sibling, which typically manifests as a fetiform abdominal mass in a newborn or infant. The mass is located in the retroperitoneum in most cases, including our example, and is commonly surrounded by encapsulated fluid. However, FIF has been reported to occur in other locations, such as within the cranium, the scrotum, and the oral cavity. Usually only one fetus is present but very rarely multiple fetuses may also be present. Five fetuses in the cranium of a 1-day-old female infant with hydrocephalus (although three of these fetuses were composed of extremities only) had been reported. The fetus itself is incomplete, containing a variable number of identifiable organs. The lung, the liver, the adrenal gland, the pancreas, and the genital organs may be seen in the more complex specimens. The presence of a head with eyes, hair, and teeth has been reported, but most of these fetuses are anencephalic. We are presenting a FIF mimicking a solid and cystic renal mass in a 6-month-old boy.

Fetus↗
PubMed1991

[Two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiographic evaluation of intrauterine blood flow dynamics in the fetuses with a ventricular septal defect].

In nine fetuses with ventricular septal defect (VSD), intracardiac blood flow was observed with color Doppler ultrasound. Interventricular shunt velocity, maximum systolic velocity in the ascending aorta and pulmonary artery, trans-atrioventricular blood flow velocity, and the flow pattern in the inferior vena cava were also measured with pulsed Doppler ultrasound. The cardio-thoracic ratio and ejection fraction were measured by B- and M-mood ultrasound. In all four fetuses with isolated VSD a bidirectional shunt was demonstrated. In the three normal developed fetuses time analysis showed a right (RT)-to-left (LT) shunt during systole and a LT-to-RT during diastole with maximum systolic velocities of 61cm/s, 42cm/s and 68cm/s. In the five fetuses with complexed cardiac malformation, two fetuses had a unidirectional shunt and three fetuses had a bidirectional shunt, which was a LT-to-RT during systole and a RT-to-LT during diastole. These studies indicate that although the systolic pressure in the right ventricle is slightly higher than that in the left, the pressure is almost the same in both ventricles. The presence of unidirectional shunting or a different time relationship from that of normal fetuses in bidirectional shunting would necessitate a careful check for other cardiac malformations.

Blood Circulation↗
PubMed1991

The blood supply to the heart and brain in the growth retarded guinea pig fetus.

Blood flow to the heart and brain of 31 control and 15 growth retarded (IUGR) guinea pig fetuses was measured between 60-64 days of pregnancy by the microsphere technique. The animals were anaesthetized with diazepam and pentobarbitone. Brain weight was reduced by 11% in IUGR fetuses from 2.61 +/- 0.03 to 2.33 +/- 0.05 g and heart weight by 39% from 0.42 +/- 0.01 to 0.25 +/- 0.01 g, compared to a decrease in body weight of 42% from 83.6 +/- 2.3 to 48.2 +/- 2.2 g. The myocardial blood flow of control animals was negatively correlated to arterial O2 content (r = 0.78, P less than 0.001) and arterial pH (r = 0.68, P less than 0.001). Brain blood flow was inversely correlated to arterial O2 content in control fetuses (r = 0.79, P less than 0.001). Eight regions of the brain were examined: cerebral hemispheres, caudate nucleus, hippocampus, thalamus + hypothalamus, cerebellum, pons, and medulla. Regional blood flows were significantly correlated to fetal oxygenation in the controls. Growth retarded fetuses were characterized by poor oxygenation (arterial O2 content less than or equal to 2.5 mM) and were frequently acidaemic (pH less than 7.20). No relation could be demonstrated between the myocardial or cerebral blood flows of IUGR fetuses and arterial O2 content or pH. It is concluded that growth retarded fetuses are unable to maintain O2 delivery to the brain and myocardium by increases in blood flow. Although O2 extraction could be increased to meet the O2 requirements of the heart, IUGR fetuses had a lower rate pressure product, suggesting a decline in myocardial O2 consumption.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Evaluation of the renal artery in the fetuses with growth retardation and oligohydramnios by two dimensional Doppler ultrasonography].

Renal blood flow dynamics were studied with color and pulsed Doppler ultrasound in 102 normal fetuses at 20 to 40 weeks of gestation, 11 growth retarded fetuses (group A), 15 fetuses with oligohydramnios (group B) and 10 growth retarded and oligohydramniotic fetuses (group C) at 32-40 weeks of gestation. The maximum systolic velocity (VMAX), early diastolic peak velocity (VEA), end diastolic velocity (VED) and resistance index (RIEA:VMAX-VEA/VMAX and RIED:VMAX-VED/VMAX) were measured in the renal artery. VMAX was also measured in the ascending aorta (AO) and pulmonary artery (PA). In the normal fetuses, blood flow velocity increased with gestational age, but VMAX and VEA remained constant after 28 weeks of gestation. The resistance index decreased with gestational age, but RIEA remained constant after 28 weeks of gestation. RIED in groups A and C increased significantly, and VMAX in groups B and C, and VED in group C decreased significantly compared with normal fetuses. VMAX in AO and PA decreased remarkably in the three abnormal groups. It was concluded that the kidneys were poorly perfused in the growth retarded fetuses with oligohydramnios, which may, in part, depend on the decreased stroke volume.

Blood Flow Velocity↗
PubMed1988

Coarctation of the aorta in Turner syndrome: a pathologic study of fetuses with nuchal cystic hygromas, hydrops fetalis, and female genitalia.

Congenital heart disease is a frequent feature of Turner syndrome. Although the most frequent cardiac lesion is coarctation of the aorta, a spectrum of cardiac defects occurs which is limited almost exclusively to defects associated with decreased blood flow through the left heart. We report the results of gross anatomic and microscopic dissection of 12 fetuses aborted between 16 and 26 weeks' gestation, with the classic Turner phenotype of nuchal cystic hygromas, hydrops fetalis, and female genitalia. Eight fetuses showed a consistent constellation of cardiac defects: diminution of the ascending aorta, large pulmonary artery ranging from 1 1/2 to three times the size of the aorta, large patent ductus arteriosus, and juxtaductal coarctation. Another fetus had hypoplastic left heart and aortic atresia. The remaining three fetuses had normal cardiac anatomy. The lymphatic vessels at the base of the great vessels were carefully examined in nine of the fetuses. Although there was no definite correlation between the degree of cardiac pathology and the extent of lymphatic aberrations at the base of the heart at the time of postmortem examination, the high incidence (75%) of left-sided flow defects among these fetuses, all of whom had large hygromas and severe edema, supports the hypothesis that there is a pathogenetic relationship between lymphatic obstruction and congenital heart disease in the 45,X Turner fetus.

Aortic Coarctation↗
PubMed1987

Transfer of antibodies directed to paternal major histocompatibility class I antigens from pregnant mice to the developing fetus.

The placental transmission of antibodies directed toward paternal MHC Class I antigens to the developing fetus was studied to assess their effect on the expression of MHC antigens during fetal development and on the development of immune function. 125I-monoclonal anti-paternal MHC antibodies injected i.v. into pregnant mice on day 15 of gestation were efficiently transferred to the fetus within 24 hr in a dose-dependent manner. Biochemical studies on the transferred radioactivity showed that intact antibodies accumulated in the fetus for up to 3 days after antibody injection. During the same period, antibodies were eliminated from the maternal system. The transfer and accumulation of anti-MHC antibodies were independent of the MHC haplotype of the fetus. The pathway of antibody transfer and the localization of transmitted antibodies in the fetus were studied by autoradiographic analysis of the entire fetoplacental unit 24 hr after the injection of anti-paternal MHC antibodies. Our results indicate that antibodies are transferred by way of the placenta and yolk sac, and reach the fetus predominantly via the circulation. Within the embryo proper, the highest levels of antibody were found in the order of blood greater than thymus greater than fetal liver. Most other fetal organs, with the exception of brain and cartilage, showed antibody accumulation, but to a lesser extent. This pattern of antibody distribution over different tissues was similar for allogeneic and syngeneic fetuses. These findings demonstrate that various fetal tissues, including developing lymphoid cells can be directly exposed to the maternally transmitted anti-MHC antibodies, with possible functional consequences on the development of the fetal immune system.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Campylobacter fetus infections in children.

There has been a gradual accumulation of reported Campylobacter fetus human infections since the first description in 1947. The taxonomy of these fastidious and morphologically confusing organisms has been recently revised and, in the past few years, through the use of selective culture medium for stool isolation C fetus has been implicated as a frequent paghogen in children. There are three relatively distinct patterns of human C fetus infection. The first, most frequent, pattern of disease is enteritis which is usually uncomplicated and due to C fetus subsp jejuni. A second form of disease consists of focal infections, often associated with vasculitis and/or chronic bacteremia. These infections, due to C fetus subsp intestinalis, are seen most often in older, debilitated, or chronically ill men. The third pattern, perinatal infections causing abortion, prematurity, and neonatal meningitis, is the least frequent, but these infections are usually fetal to the fetus or infant and are also due to C fetus subsp intestinalis.

Animals↗
PubMed1974

Vibriosis: demonstration of Vibrio fetus and Vibrio bubulus organisms in preputial fluid by immunofluorescence and cultural techniques.

Fluorescent conjugates were prepared from the sera of calves immunized with four Vibrio fetus strains and one Vibrio bubulus strain. The fluorescent antibody technique (FAT) was then used to detect vibrio organisms in preputial fluid collected from 67 bulls belonging to a Canadian artificial insemination (AI) unit. The V. fetus conjugates reacted with both V. fetus var venerealis and V. fetus var intestinalis. V. fetus was found in 20 animals (29.9%), 13 of which also harboured V. bubulus. In two cases, the FAT failed to detect V. fetus which was isolated by concurrent bacteriological examinations. It was concluded that the FAT can be a rapid method of detecting some carrier bulls but more reliable results are obtained when a combination of FAT and bacteriological methods is employed. It was found that a single sample giving negative results is inconclusive and additional tests are required before making a final diagnosis. The FAT can also be used to differentiate V. fetus isolates from V. bubulus.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Ontogeny of host responses in ovine fetuses infected with bluetongue virus.

Ovine fetuses were inoculated (IM) with bluetongue virus (BTV) between the 50th and the 130th days of a 150-day gestation. At 10 to 15 days after virus was inoculated, the interstitial tissue of the fetal lung was diffusely infiltrated with large mononuclear leukocytes. By 20 days, unitized nodules of macrophages were seen in the interstitial tissue of the lung. The only gross alterations observed in infected fetuses were large lymph nodes and prominent lymphoid nodules within the spleen. Fetuses inoculated on the 80th day developed increased serum concentrations of immunoglobulin G (IgG) within 20 days after inoculation, whereas fetuses inoculated on the 100th gestational day and later developed increased concentrations of IgG by 10 days. Fetuses inoculated on the 80th gestational day also developed serum neutralizing antibodies by 20 days after infection. The BTV was recovered from fetuses which had serum neutalizing antibody. The sequential development of responses to BTV infection during ontogeny in ovine fetuses is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Comparative data on the radioimmunological and biological activity of luteinizing hormone in the pituitary gland and the blood serum of human fetuses].

Determination of immunoreactive luteinizing hormone (LH) was carried out in 291 hypophyses of 8--34-week human fetuses, and in 92 blood serum samples of 14--34 week human fetuses. Immunoreactive LH was revealed in human hypophyses as soon as the 8th week of embryogenesis. In female fetuses the concentration and content of the hormone showed a sharp rise from the 14th--16th to the 19th--20th week. The LH concentration displayed a gradual decrease and the hormone content remained at the same level from the 21st--22nd to the 32nd--34th week. The LH concentration and content showed practically no change in male fetuses from the 14th--16th to the 23rd--24th week. A sharp elevation of the hormone level was observed from the 23rd--24th to the 27th--28th week. Immunoreactive LH was revealed in the blood of human fetuses from the 14th to the 34th week. The LH concentration was significantly greater from the 21st--22nd and 23rd--24th weeks in female than in male fetuses. In comparing the data obtained as a result of application of radioimmunological and biological methods there was revealed a coincidence of the time of appearance, of the changes and of the sex differences in the immunoreactive LH level and its biological activity in the hypophysis and in the blood of human fetuses.

Biological Assay↗
PubMed1982

Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni isolated from Syrian hamsters with proliferative ileitis.

Two groups of Syrian hamsters received 3 weeks apart from a commercial supplier became ill and were found to have proliferative ileitis (transmissible ileal hyperplasia). Seventy-five of 200 hamsters from one group and 60 of 200 from another group were evaluated by bacteriological and histopathological techniques. Campylobacter fetus subspecies jejuni was isolated from all hamsters showing clinical signs of proliferative ileitis. The organism was recovered from fecal swabs and the ileum. Many asymptomatic animals had microscopic lesions characteristic of proliferative ileitis, and all except one were culture positive for C fetus subspecies jejuni. A group of 48 hamsters from another commercial source and free of the disease were culture negative for C fetus subspecies jejuni. These animals were inoculated by gavage with one of the following: extract of affected ileum (eight hamsters), 1 X 10(8) viable C fetus subspecies jejuni organisms (28 hamsters), or sterile saline (12 hamsters). Ileal-extract inoculated hamsters were culture positive and five of eight developed clinical signs of ileal hyperplasia. Pure-culture-inoculated hamsters had colonization of the ileum by C fetus subspecies jejuni but did not develop hyperplasia of the ileum. With this data and the tendency of C fetus subspecies jejuni to be associated with clinical enteric disease in a variety of animals and man, we suggest that C fetus subspecies jejuni may have an etiologic role in proliferative ileitis of hamsters. Other synergisms or predisposing factors also may be involved.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Pattern of malformations in the axial skeleton in human trisomy 21 fetuses.

In the present study, we analyzed the development of the axial skeleton in human trisomy 21 fetuses and defined the fields in the axial skeleton affected in this form of aneuploidy. We investigated 31 human fetuses with trisomy 21, gestational ages 12-24 weeks, on the basis of radiographs of midsagittal tissue blocks of the axial skeleton, comprising the cranial base and the spine. Malformation or agenesis of the nasal bone was present in 19 of 31 fetuses. Nineteen cases had vertebral malformations. Fourteen fetuses had malformations in the cervical region, four in the thoracic and eight in the lumbosacral region. In 1 of 31 fetuses, malformation was seen in the basilar part of the occipital bone. The basisphenoid component appeared scallop-shaped in 30 cases. The pattern of axial skeletal malformations in trisomy 21 fetuses recorded here has not been described previously. Comparison is made with our recent study of trisomy 18, where the pattern of axial skeletal malformations was quite different. It is recommended that axial skeletal radiography should be part of the autopsy of fetuses where chromosome abnormalities are known or suspected.

Bone and Bones↗
PubMed1997

Prenatal diagnosis, pathology, and genetic study of fetus in fetu.

We report the prenatal diagnosis, pathology, cytogenetics, and molecular studies of a retroperitoneal fetus in fetu. Prenatal ultrasonography of the host fetus in the third trimester showed an anencephalic, acardiac mass with identifiable extremities and spine within an intra-abdominal cystic mass. Pathological examination revealed a fetiform mass weighing 20 g with four extremities, digits, vertebral bodies, an oral cavity with developing teeth, primitive male external genitalia, a urinary bladder, a cloaca with an external opening, large intestines, a membranous capsule, and an umbilical cord with one artery, one vein, and Wharton's jelly. Histological examination demonstrated nerve bundles in the fibrocollagenous tissue below the cuboidal surface epithelium of the membranous capsule, and absence of lamina elastica interna and vasa vasorum in the single artery of the umbilical cord. Both the host infant and the fetus in fetu had a normal 46,XY karyotype. Molecular analysis using informative genetic markers showed no genetic difference between the host infant and the fetiform mass. We report this case as an unusual example of fetus in fetu in co-existence with an amnion-like membrane containing nerve bundles and with a well-formed umbilical cord. We demonstrate that fetus in fetu can be diagnosed prenatally if the fetiform mass has well-developed limbs and spine. We emphasize the necessity for suspicion of fetus in fetu when a well-defined encapsulated cystic mass with calcified solid components is detected prenatally in a fetus by ultrasonography.

Adult↗