Since some patients with Ullrich-Turner syndrome (UTS) have mental retardation, we reviewed our experience to look for a high-risk subgroup. Among 190 UTS and gonadal dysgenesis patients with X chromosome abnormalities, 12 had mental retardation. All of the six (100%) with a small ring X were educable (EMI) or trainable mentally impaired (TMI) with more severe delay than expected in UTS. Among the 184 with other X abnormalities, only 6 had similar delays (2 from postnatal catastrophes), for a frequency of 3.3% mental retardation among those without a small ring X; only 2.2% of these had unexplained mental retardation. Polymerase chain reaction studies showed no Y-derived material in the 2 patients who were evaluated, and in situ hybridization confirmed X origin of the ring in the 6 subjects who were evaluated. We describe the phenotype of the 6 individuals with a small ring X, and an additional 2 patients with a small ring X who were identified outside the survey. The subjects with a small ring X comprised a clinically distinct subgroup which had EMI/TMI and shorter stature than expected in UTS. Seizures and a head circumference less than 10th centile were observed in half of the patients with a small ring X, and strabismus, epicanthus, and single palmar creases were present in more than half. A "triangular" face in childhood, pigmentary dysplasia, sacral dimple, and heart defects were also common. Neck webbing appeared to be less frequent than in 45,X. We hypothesize that the high risk of mental retardation in this form of the UTS results from lack of lyonization of the ring X due to loss of the X inactivation center. Excluding those with a small ring X, mental retardation is not significantly increased in patients with UTS.

We report on two patients with mosaic tetrasomy of 8p[46,XY/47,XY,+i(8p)], a previously unreported cytogenetic anomaly. The first patient had a low percentage of tetrasomic (secondary trisomic) cells in lymphocytes and fibroblasts, an only mildly abnormal phenotype, and a rather benign clinical course. The second patient had a considerably larger percentage of tetrasomic cells in lymphocytes and fibroblasts, and had more severe congenital anomalies that led to his death at 8 months. A characteristic phenotype +i(8p) is suggested but not yet established. The manifestations of these two patients resemble those of mosaic trisomy 8 and mosaic trisomy 8p, with rib and vertebral abnormalities, absent corpus callosum, and enlarged cerebral ventricles.

Two cell lines (University of Michigan squamous carcinoma of the vulva UM-SCV-1A and UM-SCV-1B) were established from the primary tumor and a malignant pleural effusion of a 62-year-old woman. Both tumor specimens grew vigorously in vitro and could be passaged after only 14 and 10 days in culture, respectively. Both cell lines undergo 3 population doublings in 4 days, reaching saturation densities of 5 x 10(5) cells/cm2, and have been carried through more than 30 in vitro passages. In nude mice the cultured cells initially formed tumors but these regressed 2-3 weeks after inoculation. The regressing mouse tumors consisted of poorly differentiated squamous carcinoma surrounded by an inflammatory lymphoid infiltrate. The UM-SCV-1 cell lines express membrane antigens typically displayed by squamous-cell carcinomas. These include the HLA class-1 light chain beta 2-microglobulin, pemphigus, pemphigoid, and the alpha 6 beta 4 integrin defined by the UM-A9 monoclonal antibody (MAb). In contrast to the A431 vulvar carcinoma, these tumor lines do not have amplified expression of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor. Although tissue from the primary tumor contained low levels of estrogen receptor activity, no receptor activity was detected in the cell lines. Nevertheless, both lines were sensitive to growth inhibition by tamoxifen. This effect was not reversible by estradiol, indicating an estrogen-receptor-independent mechanism. The tumors were both hypotetraploid, contained the same chromosome rearrangements and had stable karyotypes in vitro. Each contained inv(1)(p36.3q32.1), del(4)(q12), dic(4;11)(q12;p11.2), i(5p), der(6)t(3;6)(q25.1;p21.1), several rearrangements involving chromosomes 8 and 14, + i(13), i(18p), a dicentric t(11;19), and 2 or 3 unidentified markers. Since the karyotypes of both tumors were the same, no major karyotypic change was associated with metastatic spread. These paired primary and metastatic SCC lines from an unusually aggressive vulvar carcinoma provide an in vitro model for analysis of the biological basis of this tumor's behavior.

We report on a mother and son with a 3p25-pter deletion. Both have postnatal growth retardation, mental retardation, apparently low-set or malformed ears, and telecanthus. The mother also has ptosis and multiple joint pains, while the son has a long philtrum and anteverted nares. These phenotypes are compared to those of other 3p- patients. Both patients have many manifestations previously described. The son appears to be more severely affected than the mother.

We describe a 14-year-old boy with physical and behavioral manifestations of the Smith-Magenis syndrome. Low level mosaicism (11%) for deletion 17p11.2 was found in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The deletion was also observed in 100% of metaphases examined from skin fibroblast cultures. We confirm that the Smith-Magenis syndrome is associated with a highly recognizable phenotype. Because evidence of the abnormal cell line may be minimal or absent in peripheral blood, fibroblast studies are indicated for patients in whom mosaicism for deletion 17p11.2 is suspected clinically.