Disturbances in collagen synthesis in trisomic cells from spontaneously aborted embryos

Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome, Patau's syndrome--synthesis of glycosaminoglycans

Synthesis of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) by fibroblasts derived from seven patients with Down's syndrome, five patients with Edwards' syndrome, and two patients with Patau's syndrome were studied in cell culture. The aneuploid strains were compared with diploid fibroblasts from age-matched controls. In terms of hyaluronic acid and sulfated GAG synthesis, the amount of synthesized hyaluronic acid was not significantly different between postnatal aneuploid strains and controls.

Aortic root dilatation associated with partial trisomy 7(q31.2----qter)

Aortic root dilatation and mitral valve prolapse are cardiac findings sometimes seen in disorders of connective tissue, most often in the Marfan syndrome. This report describes an infant with these cardiac anomalies and a specific chromosomal abnormality, partial trisomy of chromosome 7 associated with partial monosomy of chromosome 22. This association may have significance with respect to the etiology of cardiac disease in connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome.

Collagen and fibronectin synthesis by trisomic and triploid fibroblasts from human spontaneous abortuses

Collagen and fibronectin synthesis by trisomic and triploid fibroblasts derived from human spontaneous abortuses was studied. It was demonstrated that the level of fibronectin and collagen production in fibroblasts with trisomy 7, trisomy 9, and triploidy was reduced as compared with diploid cells. A correlation between this observation and an increased rate of intracellular 14C-procollagen degradation was also established for the anomalous strains. No difference in hydroxylation of 14C-proline residues in alpha 1(I) and alpha 2(I) collagen chains and no fluctuation in the collagen type (I): type III ratio was found in the strains with the abnormal karyotypes. It was concluded that differentiation of the abnormal fibroblasts was impaired. The data also favour the hypothesis that the deficiency of the fibroblasts in producing proteins may account for a variety of anatomic abnormalities of embryos.

Mosaic trisomy 7 and renal dysplasia

Trisomy 7 was detected in umbilical cord cells cultured from a fetus with renal dysplasia. Skin fibroblasts were diploid. Because of a paucity of liveborn infants with full trisomy 7, the phenotype is not well described; however renal anomalies appear to be common with trisomy 7.