Thrombophilia in blood-donation for plasma- and cytapheresis caused by antithrombin III depletion

Induced by the case of a blood-donor with more than 100 donations-mostly apheresis-who suffered acute thromboembolism caused by antithrombin III depletion, nearly 60 apheresis-donors were examined before, during and after aphereses, as well manual fourfold as computerized (CS-3000 TRAVENOL) cytaphereses with special methods of coagulation, mainly antithrombin III levels and fibrin-monomeres. The findings were described and compared, multifold in manual techniques happened breaks caused by occluded tubules were accompanied with decrease of antithrombin III and positive FM-tests. It was discussed, if apheresis-techniques for themselves (extracorporal multifold manipulation in manual techniques and contact with artificial surfaces in both kinds of techniques) can be the reason for a hypercoagulation. It seems to be important, how is the situation of apheresis-donor before starting, therefore we give the recommendation, to pay more attention in examination this kind of donors, additional with testing antithrombin III levels and tests for fibrin-monomers.     

Coordinate embryonic expression of three zebrafish engrailed genes.

We have identified three genes, expressed in zebrafish embryos, that are members of the engrailed gene family. On the basis of sequence comparisons and analyses of their expression patterns, we suggest that two of these genes, eng2 and eng3, are closely related to the En-2 gene of other vertebrates. The third gene, eng1, is probably the zebrafish homolog of En-1. Subsets of cells at the developing junction between the midbrain and hindbrain express three different combinations of these genes, revealing a previously unknown complexity of this region of the CNS. Other cells, for example, jaw and myotomal muscle precursors, express two of the three genes in combinations which, in the myotomal muscles, change during development. Cells in the developing hindbrain and fins express only a single engrailed gene. We propose that the fates and patterning of these cells may be regulated by the coordinate expression of particular combinations of these closely related homeoproteins.