Macpherson et al evaluated the chances of successful in vitro tissue culture from a stillborn fetus or deceased newborn infant. This can help determine how and when to submit tissue specimen for cytogenetic analysis. The authors are from the University of Pennsylvania.
Stillborn fetuses were classified after Langley (1971) as described in section 38.17.01:
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Grade of Maceration
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Features
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0
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"parboiled" reddened skin
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I
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skin slippage and peeling
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II
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extensive skin peeling; red serous effusions in chest and abdomen
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III
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liver yellow-brown; turbid effusion
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The first observation was that specimens from Grade II or III macerated stillbirths rarely grew in tissue culture. Therefore, cytogenetics should not be performed.
The second observation was that it was not necessary to make harvesting a night emergency procedure provided the fetus is refrigerated at 4°C.
In vitro tissue culture yields were optimum for:
(1) newly deceased newborn infants ranging from >= 580 to <= 1740 grams
(2) newly deceased stillbirth ranging from >= 230 to <= 1100 grams
(3) stillborn fetus with maceration grade 0 ranging from >= 300 to <= 750 grams
(4) stillborn fetus with maceration grade I ranging from >= 130 to <= 400 grams
Organs routinely sampled:
(1) lung
(2) kidney
(3) spleen
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Probability of Successful In Vitro Tissue Culture
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Newborn
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Recently Stillborn
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Stillbirth Grade 0
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Stillbirth Grade I
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spleen
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0.71
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0.52
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0.47
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0.36
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kidney
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0.42
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0.21
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0.20
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0.12
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lung
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0.26
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0.13
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0.09
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0.02
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spleen and kidney
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0.77
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0.56
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0.49
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0.30
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spleen and lung
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0.73
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0.52
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0.37
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0.29
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kidney and lung
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0.65
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0.51
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0.36
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0.22
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spleen, kidney, and lung
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0.78
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0.57
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0.49
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0.38
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NOTES:
(1) The study was from 1985. I believe the success rate for in vitro tissue culture is greater today.
(2) The spleen alone gave results almost as good as all 3 organ samples together.
(3) The relatively poor recovery of the kidney reflects the early autolysis that occurs.
(4) Skin is often an adequate source of fibroblasts provided it is not contaminated. I might chose this over kidney.
