Lars Olding

New Observations on Tissue Changes Along the Pathway of the Current in an Electrical Injury

This case reprot describes an electrical injury to a 43-year-old man in whom a high voltage alternating current had passed from one hand to the other. Since the extent of damage under the intact skin surface is always difficult to asses, the authors have studied the main arteries with repeated arteriograms, and the morphological changes of muscles and vessels in the immediate vicinity of the contact burns as well as those proximal to these points and under intact skin.

THE POSSIBILITY OF MATERNO‐FOETAL TRANSFER OF LYMPHOCYTES IN MAN

Investigations dealing with the possible transplacental transfer of leucocytes from the mother to her offspring have been few and have given contradictory results. Benirschke et al. (1, 2, 3) have recently made comprehensive reviews of studies on materno-foetal “chimerism” of lymphocytes, and these reports will therefore be only briefly touched upon here. Desai & Creger (4), using maternal leucocytes labelled with atabrine, showed fluorescent cells in cord blood from 6 out of 9 newborn infants. Not only leucocytes were found but also platelets and multinuclear cells (probably trophoblasts). Turner et al. (8), however, found occasional lymphocytes with a female karyotype in cord blood from only 2 out of 183 newborn boys, and they examined 30 cells in every case. Benirschke & Sullivan (3) observed a small number of cells with an XX karyotype in blood collected from the foetal vessels of the delivered placenta belonging to 3 out of 4 examined newborn boys. However, the authors found no female cells in blood from these boys 6 weeks after delivery. They examined about 30 metaphases in every case. In the investigation reported below the possibility of transplacental transfer of lymphocytes was studied, using sex chromosomes as a marker; umbilical cord blood of newborn male infants was examined for the presence of lymphocytes with a female karyotype. A large number of cells was analysed in every case. No interference was introduced until the blood was sampled.

CONGENITAL AGAMMAGLOBULINAEMIA IN THE BROTHER OF A BOY WHO DIED OF GENERALIZED BCG INFECTION.

At the Department of Paediatrics, Uppsala, in January 1962 a boy died of general sepsis with signs of congenital agammaglobulinaemia. A brother of this child had died in 1953 of generalized BCG infection [5]. The occurrence of these two, both rare, illnesses in two brothers in itself justifies publication. As will be apparent from the following, there is evidence that the boy that died of BCG infection also had agammaglobulinaemia.

Value of placentitis as a sign of intrauterine infection in human subjects.

The association between bacterial infection and placentitis and between various non-infectious complications of pregnancy and of delivery and placentitis were investigated by means of a combined morphological, bacteriological, clinical and statistical study, including multiple regression analysis. 134 placentas from 132 mothers with the various complications were included in the series. It could not be proved that bacterial infection is the main cause of placentitis, nor even a major cause. On the other hand, some non-infectious complications in particular meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, prolonged labour, and premature rupture of membranes, seem to be more important causes. Foetal acidosis as a possible inductive factor in placentitis is suggested.

Multiple Severe Malformations in a Child of a Diabetic Mother Treated with Insulin and Dibein1 During Pregnancy

A case of multiple severe malformations in a child of a diabetic mother treated with insulin and dibein (phenforminichlorid) during pregnancy is reported. Treatment with oral hypoglycaemia drugs during pregnancy is discussed.

VALUE OF PLACENTITIS AS A SIGN OF INTRAUTERINE INFECTION IN HUMAN SUBJECTS

The association between bacterial infection and placentitis and between various non-infectious complications of pregnancy and of delivery and placentitis were investigated by means of a combined morphological, bacteriological, clinical and statistical study, including multiple regression analysis. 134 placentas from 132 mothers with the various complications were included in the series. It could not be proved that bacterial infection is the main cause of placentitis, nor even a major cause. On the other hand, some non-infectious complications in particular meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, prolonged labour, and premature rupture of membranes, seem to be more important causes. Foetal acidosis as a possible inductive factor in placentitis is suggested.

VALUE OF PLACENTITIS AS A SIGN OF INTRAUTERINE INFECTION IN HUMAN SUBJECTS: A Morphological, Bacteriological, Clinical, and Statistical Study

The association between bacterial infection and placentitis and between various non-infectious complications of pregnancy and of delivery and placentitis were investigated by means of a combined morphological, bacteriological, clinical and statistical study, including multiple regression analysis. 134 placentas from 132 mothers with the various complications were included in the series. It could not be proved that bacterial infection is the main cause of placentitis, nor even a major cause. On the other hand, some non-infectious complications in particular meconium staining of the amniotic fluid, prolonged labour, and premature rupture of membranes, seem to be more important causes. Foetal acidosis as a possible inductive factor in placentitis is suggested.

18. STUDIES ON HUMAN FOETAL ENDOCRINE PANCREAS IN VITRO

The hp level of newborns with an intrauterine infection was clearly higher than that of normal newborns of the same age. The hp level of infected newborns, aged 0-2 days, was 54.2 k 33.5 mg/100 ml. The level was highest at the age of one week, 83.8 k 62.5 mg/100 ml. After that the level decreased and was about 55 mg/100 ml at the age of 3 4 weeks. It is emphasized that individual variations are very high. It is obvious that the hp level is of diagnostic value in newborns with an intrauterine infection.