ascorbic-acid and Turner-Syndrome

Treatment of cultured fibroblasts from patients with unbalanced chromosomal aberrations with a mixture of isoproterenol, theophylline and ascorbic acid resulted after 48 hours in an at least three-fold increase of alkaline phosphatase activity on a per cell basis, whereas cells from normal healthy individuals did not show this dramatic response. Cells were studied from patients with trisomy 21 (14 cases), trisomy 18 (3 cases), trisomy 13 (1 case), pentasomy X (1 case), Turner syndrome (2 cases), and Klinefelter syndrome (1 case), and no exception was noted. The mechanism of this phenomenon is not clear, but it is speculated that increased cyclic-AMP levels caused by the action of isoproterenol on adenylcyclase may account for excessive reactions of unbalanced cells as compared to normal cells. This simple biochemical diagnostic procedure might become useful in screening programs for unbalanced chromosomal abberations.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Alkaline Phosphatase; Ascorbic Acid; Cells, Cultured; Child; Child, Preschool; Chromosome Aberrations; Female; Fibroblasts; Humans; Infant; Isoproterenol; Klinefelter Syndrome; Male; Theophylline; Turner Syndrome

Topics: Adult; Aged; Animals; Ascorbic Acid; Climacteric; Clomiphene; Contraceptives, Oral; Estradiol; Estriol; Estrone; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Humans; Luteinizing Hormone; Male; Menopause; Menstruation; Methods; Middle Aged; Organ Size; Ovary; Pituitary Gland; Rats; Sex Chromosome Aberrations; Time Factors; Turner Syndrome