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Immunotyping is an essential adjunct to cytomorphology for the diagnosis of lymphoma by fine-needle aspiration (FNA). Two independent techniques, cytospin preparations and flow cytometry, were used for immunotyping studies on 71 patients with histologically confirmed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (63 B-cell lymphomas and 8 T-cell lymphomas). Diagnostic concordance between the two methods was obtained in 69 patients (97%). kappa, lambda, and CD3 (Leu-4) markers were routinely measured on all cytospins, and additional markers were requested when indicated. The standard panel measured by flow cytometry included 14 markers. In general, mean values of light-chain (kappa and lambda) immunoglobulins were consistently slightly higher by cytospin analysis than by flow cytometry. Light-chain immunoglobulin ratios (kappa/lambda or lambda/kappa) obtained by both methods proved to be reliable independent predictors of polyclonality or monoclonality. Correlation studies using the Spearman rank coefficient revealed good concordance among values of kappa, alpha, CD3, and CD5 obtained by the two techniques, suggesting that subjective quantitation by cytospins yields similar results to objective quantitation by flow cytometry. Cytospin analysis and flow cytometry appear equally capable of immunotyping aspirated lymphoid samples reliably. The advantages of each method are discussed.

Consumer health information has proliferated on the Web. However, because virtually anyone can publish this type of information on theWeb, consumers cannot always rely on traditional credibility cues such as reputation of a journal. Instead, they must rely on a variety of cues, including visual presentation, to determine the veracity of information. This study is an examination of the relationship of people's visual design preferences to judgments of credibility of information on consumer health information sites. Subjects were asked to rate their preferences for visual designs of 31 health information sites after a very brief viewing.The sites were then reordered and subjects rated them according to the extent to which they thought the information on the sites was credible. Visual design judgments bore a statistically significant similarity to credibility ratings. Sites with known brands were also highly rated for both credibility and visual design. Theoretical implications are discussed.

Hemizygous deletion of 3p25-pter is associated with a phenotype of profound growth failure, microcephaly, characteristic facial changes, and mental retardation. Since the severity may be quite variable, we have studied 3 cases of del 3p25-pter to define the clinical manifestations and the critical chromosome region for phenotypic expression. The patient we now report died at age 6 months and provided an opportunity for a detailed necropsy analysis for only the second time in a del(3p) patient. He had marked hypoplasia of all organs, hypomyelination of white matter, and multiple renal cortical microcysts. Ordered genomic markers from the distal regions of chromosome 3p aided in determining the parent of origin of each deletion and in defining the boundaries of the deleted chromosomal segments. The deleted markers distal to the RAF1 oncogene in 2 of the 3 patients were consistently hemizygous. One patient had an interstitial deletion based on evidence of diploid inheritance of one of the most distal loci (D3S17). Available genetic linkage maps suggest that the deletion spans at least 19 centimorgans (cM).

Five matings to a dir ins (6;2)(q16;q31q33) carrier have produced a high frequency (42%) of offspring with unbalanced karyotypes. Five children have the derivative chromosome 2 resulting in del (2)(q31q33) and one individual received the derivative chromosome 6 leading to dup (2)(q31q33). The findings associated with the deletion include pre- and postnatal growth retardation, developmental delay, minor facial anomalies, seizures, complex structural heart defects, and limb deficiency. Autopsy of one individual showed complex brain malformations including hydrocephalus secondary to obstruction of the foramina of Monro, extensive heterotopias and polymicrogyria, and an unusual form of total anomalous pulmonary venous return. We compare the findings in these children to those of previously reported cases and construct an overview of the range of anomalies. Apparently, no other individual with dup (2)(q31q33) has been described. We compare the physical peculiarities of our patient with those of individuals with duplications of overlapping regions of 2q.

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