This study population is unique in its size and recruitment by gestational age rather than birth weight. Inflammation occurred frequently, but not in placentas that had characteristics of vasculopathy. The prevalence of inflammation decreased with increasing gestational age, while vasculopathy increased. Funisitis need not be accompanied by chorionic inflammation.

Background. Epstein‐Barr virus (EBV) is maintained as an episome in most infected cells. The presence of fused terminal restriction enzyme fragments distinguishes the circular DNA form from the linear virion form. Methods. EBV genomic structure was analyzed in 8 lymphoid cell lines and 21 human lymphoma specimens by the Southern blot technique. Results. Evidence of viral integration into host chromosomal DNA was identified in four cell lines. In the Namalwa and BL30‐B95.8 cell lines, integration occurred through the terminal repeat (TR) sequences. In the BL41‐P3HR1 and BL41‐B95.8 cell lines, there was loss of left‐end viral genomic sequences, including ori‐P sequences required for episome maintenance, implying that integration was required for viral genome persistence. Integration was not detected in four other cell lines (Raji, Daudi, B95.8, and BL30‐P3MR1). In 21 EBV‐containing human lymphomas, including 18 immunodeficiency‐related lymphomas, fused TB sequences were identified without evidence of viral genomic integration. Conclusions. These findings suggest that, although viral integration is common in Burkitt lymphoma cell lines infected in vitro, integration is not common in human lymphomas that develop in vivo in normal or immunodeficient people.

An automated complete blood count with white blood cell differential was performed yearly on successive groups of healthy second-year medical students from 1979 through 1987. For three classes (1984-1987), the counts were repeated on the same people nine months later. These data demonstrated that the mean value of all hematologic parameters was quite stable over nine years. This allowed for an estimation of the upper limit for the combined effects of drift in accuracy, precision, and biologic stability. The stability was achievable despite an evolution in technology and quality assurance methods over that period. A comparison of intraindividual versus interindividual variation demonstrated that a normal range based on population statistics may be less sensitive than a normal range established for a person during routine health maintenance, especially for the platelet count.

A patient with an acute burn was noticed to have spuriously elevated platelet counts on an automated system. The major factor accounting for this discrepancy was the presence of numerous microspherocytes which were in the same size range of platelets. It is thus important to add microspherocytosis as an additional cause for a spuriously elevated platelet count. This has special clinical importance when dealing with an acute burn patient.