Human Blastogenesis Research Articles

67 Human Bauplan Anomalies

The german term Bauplan means body-plan, but captures also the idea of the architectural constraints existing in such a functional design. There are only a few animal Bauplane, and each phylum is characterized by one of them. Major Bauplan's modifications within a taxon are not tolerated. The concept is common between the zoologists, but usually is not employed in human pathology. Our hypothesis is that an approach to the birth defects in terms of basic body-plan results in a better understanding of the human ontogenetic and phylogenetic development. We observed 30 interrupted pregnancies owing to severe structural fetal malformations. A pathological study was performed in all the fetuses. We found the following syndromes and anomalies: Meckel-Gruber syndrome 1; Cantrell's pentalogy 1; Ivemark syndrome 1; Omphalocele-radial hypoplasia complex 1; Triploid syndrome 1; Malformative associations including encephalic anomalies 3; SNC isolated abnormalities (comprehensive of 10 neural tube defects) 16; Gastroschisis 1; Complex cardiac anomalies 3; Kidney defects, including bilateral renal agenesis 2; According to our study, three major Bauplan defects are detectable in the aborted fetuses. They are concerning with: (1) cephalization, (2) laterality, (3) closure of the fetal body surface, and all of them are related to a midline pathology. These results are in agreement with the belonging of our species to the chordates deuterostomata and suggest that the human Bauplan begins to appear in the early blastogenesis, when the nothocord appears and neurulation occurs. In this period the embryo seems to act as a single morphogenetic unit, so that blastogenetic defects are frequently multisystem abnormalities. 1/3 of the fetuses presented complex malformative disorders. Besides being a source for studies of evolutionary developmental biology (Evo-Devo), the investigation on human blastogenesis and organogenesis through an oriented evaluation of the birth defects could have in the future unexpected therapeutic relevance.

Function and expression of a human idiotypic network in Schistosomiasis japonica.

The cross-reactive idiotype (Hu-SJ-CRIM) is defined by polyclonal human anti-idiotypic antibodies derived from chronically S. japonicum infected patients. The present study shows that serum levels of Hu-SJ-CRIM expressed by antibodies to S. japonicum soluble egg antigen (SEA) are associated with acute infection and hepatosplenic disease. Xenogeneic anti-idiotypic antisera (anti-Hu-SJ-CRIM) suppressed human lymphocyte blastogenesis to SEA in vitro by 47-82% (P < 0.05). These anti-idiotypic antibodies also suppressed in vitro granuloma formation induced by SEA coated heads in a dose dependent manner. This immunosuppression was antigen specific in that mitogen (PHA) or non-related antigen (PPD) induced blastogenic responses were not suppressed. Surprisingly, anti-idiotypic antibodies (anti-SJ-CRIM), which describe the mouse correlate CRIM were not suppressive in the human blastogenesis or in vitro granuloma formation assays. These data indicate a dichotomy in the function and specificity of the idiotype/anti-idiotype human and murine immune networks in S. japonicum infection. Thus, only the patient derived molecules and serology form the basis for an immunoregulatory network in Schistosomiasis japonica.