The frequency of XYY and XXY men among criminal offenders

Among 1,040 consecutive male criminals remitted for mental examination nine had the karyotype 47,XYY, one 48,XXYY and eleven 47,XXY. The types of crime in the XYY men were much like those in the XXY men, the proportion of sexual crimes possibly being greater than among other criminal offenders. The reasons for these findings are discussed.

Tooth sizes in two males with deletions of the long arm of the Y-chromosome

Permanent and deciduous tooth crown sizes in two males with deletions of the long arm of the Y chromosome and their first-degree relatives were examined. The first proband with a deletion in the proximal part of Yq11 showed definitely smaller teeth than his father or population control males. The second proband with a deletion in the distal part of Yq11 showed large or normal sized teeth compared to his brother or population control males. These data support the results of earlier studies indicating a promoting effect of the Y chromosome on tooth growth, and suggest that the location of the growth-promoting gene(s) is in Yq11. It is postulated that statural growth is affected by the same gene(s).

Chromosomal abnormalities in acute promyelocytic leukaemia

In 2 patients with acute promyelocytic leukaemia (APL) an isochromosome for the long arm of chromosome 17 was seen in part of the bone marrow mitoses at diagnosis and relapse, respectively. In one of them, there was a t(15q+; 17q-) affecting one of the No. 15 chromosomes and both arms of the isochromosome. Thus the translocations must have occurred before (or simultaneously with) the formation of the isochromosome. This is the first example of t(15;17) out of 17 patients with APL studied in Finland.

Higher frequency of 51--clone in bone marrow mitoses after culture than by a direct method

In a patient with refractory idiopathic sideroblastic anaemia without signs of leukaemia a clone with the karyotype 46,XX,5q--showed markedly different frequencies in mitotic preparations obtained from bone marrow by different methods. This clone was absent or rare (0--15%) in preparations made by a direct method and prevalent (55--95%) after culture for 22 h or 46 h in the presence or absence of methotrexate. In cells without the 51--chromosome there were minor clones with trisomies 8, 14 or 19. These were somewhat more frequent in preparations made by the methotrexate than by the direct method. If these findings are confirmed in larger series of experiments, it will follow that results obtained for different abnormalities and in different disorders by different methods may not be comparable and that modifications of the present cytogenetic methodology for bone marrow may lead to new findings of practical and theoretical significance.

H-Y antigen in 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis

Presence of H-Y antigen has been correlated with testicular differentiation, and absence of H-Y with failure of testicular differentiation, in a variety of mammalian species. To determine more precisely the relationship between expression of H-Y antigen and development of the testis, we studied the cells of phenotypic females with the 46,XY male karyotype. Blood leukocytes were typed H-Y+ in five XY females with gonadal dysgenesis, although in other studies blood leukocytes from XY females with gonadal dysgenesis were typed H-Y-. Thus mere presence of H-Y antigen is not sufficient to guarantee normal differentiation of the testis. In the present paper we review evidence for an additional factor in gonadal organogenesis, the H-Y antigen receptor. We infer that testicular development requires engagement of H-Y and its receptor. It follows that XY gonadal dysgenesis is the consequence of functional absence of the H-Y testis inducer as in the following conditions: failure of synthesis of H-Y or failure of specific binding of H-Y.

Dicentric Y chromosome arising via tandem translocation

We describe a 22-year-old woman with primary amenorrhea, bilateral gonadoblastomas, and short stature (148.0 cm), but no other signs of the Ullrich-Turner syndrome. There were three cell lines identified in peripheral blood lymphocytes - 45,X (30%), 46,XY (60%), and 46,X,tan dic(Y) (10%). Cells cultured from gonadal biopsies showed only the 45,X karyotype. However, frozen sections of the biopsies showed frequent single and rare double-Y-chromatin bodies. Lymphocytes were H-Y antigen-negative. This previously undescribed structurally abnormal chromosome probably consists of two Y chromosomes attached end-to-end in a tandem translocation. One of the centromeres forms the primary (functional) constriction, the other being detectable only as C-positive material on each chromatid, so presumably inactive. The discrepancy between the presence of Y-chromatin in frozen sections of the gonads and its absence from karyotype in gonadal cultures is indicative of cell selection in tissue culture. Finally, the case confirms the high risk of gonadoblastoma in women with a Y chromosome, even in the absence of H-Y antigen.

Heteromorphic X chromosomes in 46,XX males?

This paper reports an attempt to determine whether the short arm of one of the X chromosomes in XX males is longer than normal. In a blind study comparing coded photomicrographs of 15 G-banded mitoses from each of five XX males and five control females, the results were ambiguous and somewhat contradictory, but gave the impression of, or were compatible with, an XXp+ phenomenon in at least two of the five XX males. Measurements of the X chromosomes from the above cells and, in addition, from 15 mitoses from each of six XXY males, failed to disclose any XXp+ phenomenon. Statistical analysis indicated that in the five XX males there was no difference in the lengths of the two Xp arms. The reasons for the apparent discrepancy between the results of ocular inspection and measurement are discussed. The putative heteromorphism might be an alteration in shape, staining intensity, or position of bands, neither of which necessarily leads to an increase in length. We conclude that our results do not indicate any XXp+ phenomenon in the five XX males tested. However, the presence or absence of XXp+ is not in itself evidence for or against interchange betweenthe X and Y in the paternal meiosis. Our results emphasize that the etiology of XX males is likely to be heterogeneous.

Permanent tooth sizes in 46,XX-males

Measurements of permanent tooth sizes in four XX-males showed their teeth to be smaller than those of male controls and similar in size to those of female controls. The teeth of the XX-males were smaller than those of their first-degree male relatives and of the same size as those of three of their mothers. The teeth of three fathers of XX-males were similar in size to control males and the teeth of three mothers of XX-males were similar in size to control females. The detailed knowledge that exists regarding the sequence and timing of tooth crown development allows the following implications to be made from our results. Growth retardation in XX-males is of primary genetic origin and is due to the absence of the gene(s) normally located on the Y-chromosome. Growth retardation, compared to normal males, is apparent and final three years after birth, conceivably begins after 2--3 months of foetal life and persists during childhood. It is unlikely that XX-males have had a Y-chromosome at any stage. If maleness is caused by a recessively inherited translocation or a mutational acquisition of the testis-determining gene(s), the genes influencing growth are not involved in either mechanism.

Decrease of the major high molecular weight surface glycoprotein of human granulocytes in monosomy-7 associated with defective chemotaxis

By use of the galactose/NaB3H4 surface labeling technique followed by polyacrylamide slab gel electrophoresis, it is shown that the major labeled surface glycoprotein (GP130) of normal human blood granulocytes is markedly reduced in granulocytes from three patients with a chromosomal abnormality in all or most bone marrow mitoses. The abnormality consisted of monosomy-7 in two and deletion of the distal half of the long arm of chromosome-7 in the third. The granulocytes from these patients showed reduced chemotaxis. These results suggest that the expression of GP130, as well as the chemotactic ability of the cells, are at least in part controlled by one or several genes on chromosome-7. The GP130 protein may be involved in normal granulocyte chemotaxis.

Inherited interstitial del(Xp) with minimal clinical consequences: with a note on the location of genes controlling phenotypic features

In a routine cytogenetic investigation of the outpatients of a hospital for the mentally retarded, a 26-year-old women with a presumptive interstitial deletion of the short arm of one of the X chromosomes was found. The same aberration was found in her phenotypically normal mother and in one of her four sisters, all phenotypically normal. By GTG- and QFQ-banding methods, the deletion was interpreted to involve the entire band Xp21 and adjacent parts of p11 and p22. The karyotype is written 46,X,del(X)(pter leads to p22::p11 leads to qter). By autoradiography and Bud R acridine orange technique, the deleted X was the late replicating one in all three affected persons. The deletion apparently causes shortness of stature but no other phenotypic symptoms or signs. Hence a gene or genes controlling stature is located in band Xp21 or regions immediately adjacent to this band. Since the absence of this region does not cause streak gonads, it does not contain genes controlling the formation of the ovaries. This appears to be the first example of a heritable chromosome deletion compatible with a normal phenotype and reproduction.

Transformation in chronic granulocytic leukaemia. Different blast cell clones in different anatomical sites

A 45-year-old female developed blastic metamorphosis in chronic granulocytic leukaemia after 52 months of chronic phase. During the subsequent 6--7 months, lymphosarcomatous enlargements of various lymph nodes developed. The blast cells in lymph nodes differed morphologically from those in bone marrow and blood, being 'lymphoid' non-B, non-T, non-ALL cells. The karyotype of all metaphases from one lymph node was 47,XX, +21(Ph1+) being identical to the karyotype of medullary cells. However, the karyotype of all blasts from another lymph node was 47,XX,+mar(Ph1+). It is likely that the local micro-environment controlled the clonal differentiation of these subpopulations which had originated from the same Ph1-positive multipotent stem cell. In lymph nodes and other extramedullary sites blasts were primitive without differentiation, but a myeloid differentiation in the bone marrow was demonstrated morphologically and cytochemically.

Cell surface markers in cord blood leucocytes after stimulation with lipopolysaccharide B

T- and B-lymphocyte markers were studied in cord blood cells cultured with lipopolysaccharide B (LPS). Cells cultured with leucoagglutinin (LA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) were used as controls. LPS-induced lymphoblasts were negative for surface Ig, positive for intracellular Ig and did not form rosettes with sheep red blood cells (SRBC). LA-activated cells formed rosettes with SRBC, while PWM cultures showed a varying proportion of surface Ig-positive or SRBC rosetting cells, dependent on the time of culture. About 50% of both LA- and LPS-activated lymphoblasts formed EA rosettes (specific for Fc receptors) and EAC rosettes (specific for complement receptors). The response of foetal cells to LPS was reduced when lymphocytes obtained from Isopaque-Ficoll gradients were passed through nylon wool columns, whereas this procedure led to an increased response to LA. Thus LPS-activated foetal leucocytes are B lymphocytes expressing intracellular but not surface Ig.

Recessive sex-determining genes in human XX male syndrome

Maleness is normally inherited as a dominant trait (a single copy of the Y chromosome induces testicular differentiation of the embryonic gonad), but our genealogic study of three XX males in one pedigree indicated an autosomal recessive mode of male inheritance. Subsequent study revealed the presence of H-Y antigens in the three XX males and in their mothers, and suggested that excess H-Y may be found in the fathers. Inasmuch as H-Y loci have been mapped to the human Y chromosome, these data favor the view that H-Y structural loci comprise a family of testis-determining genes, and that Y autosome (or Y-X) translocation can generate either dominant or recessive modes of XX sex reversal, depending upon the particular portion of H-Y genes transferred.

Stimulation of human fetal lymphocytes by lipopolysaccharide B in culture. Studies on cells circulating in maternal blood

Lipopolysaccharide B (LPS) was used in attempts to stimulate fetal cells circulating in the maternal blood during pregnancy. Crystalline leukoagglutinin (LA), the mitogenic properties of which are identical with those of phytohemagglutinin, was used as a reference mitogen. When artificial mixtures of varying proportions of lymphocytes from mothers (XX) and their newborn male infants (XY) were co-cultured in the presence of these mitogens. LPS brought about a definite enrichment of XY mitoses, indicating that even under these conditions of co-culture, LPS preferentially, though not exclusively, stimulates the infant cells. When cells from the blood of 13 women pregnant in the second trimester with a male fetus were cultured with LPS as a mitogen, all mitoses were found to be XX. Since interphase Y chromatin occurred in uncultured lymphocytes from these women (cells containing Y chromatin were found in 5 out of 6 women tested), we conclude that LPS is unable to stimulate, or at least induce mitoses, in fetal cells circulating in the blood of pregnant women. The nature of these cells is discussed.

A theory explaining the abnormality in 45,X/46,XY mosaicism with non-fluorescent Y chromosome. presentation of three cases

Three patients with male habitus, short stature and testicular differentiation are described. All had mos 45,X/46,XY, the ratio of the two stemlines varying between the patients and between different tissues. The Y chromosome was abnormal, lacking the brilliant QFQ fluorescence and dark CGB staining characteristic of the distal part of the normal Y. Detailed banding studies suggested that the short arm and proximal part of the long arm were normal, while the distal part of the long arm was molecularly or otherwise altered, resulting in abnormal staining properties. Two of the patients were tested for H-Y antigen and found to be positive. These data and those collected from the literature are compatible with a model in which the primary lesion in X/XY mosaicism is a molecular alteration in the reiterated Y-specific DNA sequences (and possibly neighbouring sequences) of a 46,XY zygote resulting in the frequent mitotic loss of the Y and the emergence of a 45,X line. Provided the testis-determining gene(s) near the centromere are normal, testes are formed and the patient is H-Y antigen-positive. The extent of male or female differentiation depends in part on the prevalence, time of occurence, and distribution of the 45,X line and possibly in part on the alteration of other genes involved in sex differentiation and located on Yq further from the centromere.

Multiple cytogenetic methods used to identify a new structural rearrangement of the human X chromosome

A woman with primary amenorrhea and pure gonadal dysgenesis had two cytogenetically abnormal cell lines. The karyotype was 45,X in 56--95% of mitosis from lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts. In the remaining 5--44% of the cells there was, in addition to a normal X, a structurally abnormal X chromosome interpretable as pter leads to q21::q11 leads to pter or pter leads to q21::q13 leads to pter. The abnormal X chromosome was heterocyclic and had a normal centromere plus an extra C band in the long arm. Detailed interpretation of the structural rearrangements of this chromosome required the use of both Q-, G-, and C-banding and the BrdU-Hoechst 33258 technique.

Clozapine-induced agranulocytosis. A genetic and epidemiologic study

An epidemic of agranulocytosis and granulocytopenia occurred in 1975 in conjunction with clozapine treatment of mental patients in Finland. An attempt was made to assess the epidemiologic and genetic factors contributing to the adverse drug effect. The estimated incidence rate in Finland was 2.1/1000 patient-months. This figure could not be compared with rates from other countries because of the inexact nature of the figures reported so far. All 16 cases occurred in seven hospitals in southwestern Finland, whereas the overall hospital net use of the drug was geographically evenly distributed. The difference between the observed and the proportionally expected incidence of cases amongst the hospitals where clozapine was used was statistically significant. The average consumption of the drug did not differ between the hospitals where cases occurred and those where no definite cases could be diagnosed. Six-generation pedigree analyses failed to reveal significant parental consanguinity or genetic kinship between probands. Neither did the birth places of the ancestors of the probands disclose a typical isolate pattern. In conclusion, the cases appeared to be confined to a few hospitals in southwestern Finland. Although a genetic factor is not excluded, we found no evidence in support of a genetic mechanism.

Stimulation of human fetal lymphocytes by lipopolysaccharide B in culture

Cultures of Isopaque-Ficoll-isolated lymphocytes from three human sources were compared with respect to the effect of mitogens. The cell sources were maternal blood immediately after delivery, cord blood, and blood obtained by heart puncture of 10-20-week aborted fetuses. Lipopolysaccharide B (LPS) induced incorporation of tritiated thymidine, blastic transformation, and mitotic activity in cord and fetal, but not maternal, cells. The stimulation reached a maximum on days 4-8 of culture. It was stronger than the spontaneous transformation often displayed by fetal cells. If fetal cells spontaneously occurring in the blood of pregnant women were to react in a similar way, it should be possible to selectively stimulate the fetal cells with LPS. Such transformed fetal cells could then be isolated from cultures of maternal blood samples and used for antenatal diagnosis of fetal disease.

Function of neutrophils in preleukaemia

The function of blood neutrophil granulocytes was studied in vitro in 17 patients with preleukaemia. 3 patients had a cellular defect of chemotaxis. 2 of them had monosomy-7 in bone marrow karyotype, in 1 associated with the deletion of the long arm of a chromosome 20. The third patient had trisomy-8. In the patient with trisomy-8, the high percentage of band neutrophils was possibly associated with the chemotactic defect. In another patient with trisomy-8 chemotaxis was normal. There was a statisically significant tendency to reduced phagocytosis and impaired ability to kill Staphylococcus aureus. 1 patient with a chemotactic defect and monosomy-7 suffered from repeated infections. The other 2 patients with defective chemotaxis had several febrile episodes most probably of infectious origin, and 1 of them died in sepsis. All of these 3 patients had cutaneous abscesses. It is concluded that defects in neutrophil granulocyte function are not uncommon in preleukaemia and may result in reduced resistance to infection.

Mapping of the gene for glutathione reductase on chromosome 8

Red cell glutathione reductase (E-GSR) activity in 3 patients with mos46,XY/47,XY,+8 was higher than the mean value in controls, confirming the previous assignment of the E-GSR locus to chromosome 8. In a infant with a terminal deletion of the short arm of chromosome 8, 46,XX,del(8)(:p21 leads to qter), E-GSR activity was markedly lower than in infant controls. The authors suggest that the E-GSR locus is in the region 8p21 leads to pter.

A large pericentric inversion of human chromosome 8

A large pericentric inversion, inv(8) (p11q24), was ascertained in a male investigated because his wife had had repeated miscarriages. The inversion segregated in 3 generations of the family, and no chromosomally unbalanced offspring were detected. The miscarriage and the inversion could not be causally related.

Trisomy 8 in the bone marrow associated with high red cell glutathione reductase activity

In a series of 841 patients with hematologic disorders, 10 individuals were found to have an extra C group chromosome in their bone marrow cells. In two the extra chromosome was not identified, but in the remaining eight it was No. 8. Four of these ten patients had leukemia, and the others had cytopenias or other probably preleukemic conditions. The mean value for glutathione reductase activity in the red cells of four patients with trisomy 8 was significantly higher (2980 +/- 940 mumoles/min/liter of erythrocytes) than in normal controls (1930 +/- 360) or in any of five different control groups of patients with hematologic disorders. The extent of enzyme activation as a result of preincubation with exogenous flavin adenine dinucleotide was similar in the erythrocytes of all groups. The reasons for the high values of red cell glutathione reductase activity in patients with trisomy 8 are discussed in the light of the proposed assignment of the gene for that enzyme to chromosome 8.

Massive invasion of fetal lymphocytes into the mother's blood at induced abortion

The proband, a healthy primipara, selected for study after she had asserted that she had not previously been pregnant, gave birth to a healthy girl with the karyotype 46,XX. In the 21st week of gestation, leukoagglutinin-stimulated mitoses from the proband's blood were 99% 46,XX and 1% 46,XY, the Y chromosome being identified by its quinacrine fluorescence. In two samples taken later in pregnancy no XY mitoses were found in the cultures, but on all three occasions brightly fluorescent Y chromatin in a proportion of the uncultured lymphocyte nuclei showed teh presence of XY cells in the proband's blood. High titers of cytotoxic anti-HL-A 3 were detected in the maternal serum before and after delivery. Our tentative interpretation is that the XY cells in the proband's blood emanated from a previous fetus that was legally aborted by curettage on the 10th week of an uneventful pregnancy and which the patient admitted to only after repeated questioning.

Molecular basis of chromosome banding. II. The effect of silver and mercury ions on the fluorescence intensity of acranil-DNA complexes

Silver and mercury ions are known to react with the bases of nucleic acids in solution. At low cation/base ratios Ag+ has an affinity for GC pairs in DNA, whereas Hg++ is preferentially bound to AT-rich nucleic acids. We have used fluorometry to measure the effect of these cations on the fluorescence intensity of preformed complexes of acranil and DNA in solution. The results are: 1) Ag+ enhances the fluorescence intensity presumably by affecting the dye intercalated in the vicinity of GC-pairs. 2) The addition of Hg++ leads to a quenching of the fluorescence intensity of the complex at low ion/base ratios, suggesting an effect on the dye molecules bound to AT pairs. At high GC-content of the nucleic acid, slight enhancement of the fluorescence intensity occurs with Hg++. 3) With both metals there is a correlation between base content of DNA and effect on the intensity of fluorescence indicating base specificity of the dye-polymer interaction.

Molecular basis of chromosome banding. I. The effect of mouse DNA fractions on two fluorescent dyes in vitro

The effects of mouse satellite, main band and total DNA on the fluorescence intensity of quinacrine and of the bibenzimidazole derivative Hoechst 33258 were tested in solution. No significant differences were noticed between the double-stranded DNAs in spite of the 5% difference in AT-content between satellite and main band DNA. Single-stranded DNAs enhanced the fluorescence intensity of Hoechst 33258 far less than double-stranded DNAs. Having been denaturated and then reassociated the DNA fractions were intermediate in their enhancing effects on the fluorescence intensity of Hoechst 33258, the differences presumably being due to different degrees of reassociation. The effect of denatured and subsequently reassociated satellite DNA on the fluorescence intensity of quinacrine was similar to that of the native DNAs. Main band and total DNA quenched the fluorescence intensity of quinacrine more after denaturation-reassociation than it did when native. In the discussion the results are related to known cytological data.

Pericentric inversions of human chromosomes 9 and 10

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Analytic review: nature and origin of males with XX sex chromosomes

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