Abstract
IT is generally assumed that there is a diploid number of chromosomes in nearly all human somatic cells. That this is not true for the endometrium was first reported by Timonen1 in 1950. He found chromosome numbers ranging from 4 to 104 in 1,000 cells of human endometrium. Manna2 observed similar aneuploidy in this tissue. Sachs3, on the other hand, found no variation from the normal diploid number in either human or rat endometrium. Walker and Boothroyd4, although they found chromosome counts ranging from 42 to 56, believed that the apparent aneuploidy was caused by the methods used, and suggested that Timonen's results were similar artefacts produced by the technique. Since all these investigators used squash preparations without previous hypotonic treatment, it is quite possible that in some cases accurate counts were not possible or that fragmentation occurred. Furthermore, the human diploid chromosome number was, at that time, believed to be 48, and this erroneous belief may also have biased the results obtained. Although new methods were introduced into human cytogenetics and the quality of the preparations was greatly improved, the question of aneuploidy in the endometrium has remained unanswered. In 1958, Tjio and Puck5 reported that they had found only diploid and some tetraploid cells in endometrium grown in tissue culture. Takemura6, however, found that of 109 cells only 51.4 per cent had 46 chromosomes, the chromosome counts in the others ranging from 33 to 95.
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References
Timonen, S., Acta Obstetrica et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 31, 2 (1950).
Manna, G. K., Nature, 173, 271 (1954).
Sachs, L., Nature, 172, 205 (1953).
Walker, B. E., and Boothroyd, E. R., Genetics, 39, 210 (1954).
Tjio, J. H., and Puck, T. T., J. Exp. Med., 108, 259 (1958).
Takemura, T., J. Jap. Obstet. Gynec. Soc., 7, 300 (1960).
Chu, E. H. Y., and Giles, N. H., Amer. J. Human Genet., 11, 63 (1959).
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HUGHES, E., CSERMELY, T. Chromosomal Constitution of Human Endometrium. Nature 209, 326 (1966). https://doi.org/10.1038/209326a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/209326a0
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