"Donating our bodies to science": A discussion about autopsy and organ donation in Turner syndrome

Identification of cadaveric liver tissues using thanatotranscriptome biomarkers

Thanatotranscriptome studies involve the examination of mRNA transcript abundance and gene expression patterns in the internal organs of deceased humans. Postmortem gene expression is indicative of the cellular status of a corpse at the time of death, a portion of which may represent a cascade of molecular events occasioned by death. Specific gene biomarkers identify perceptible transcriptional changes induced by stochastic responses to the cessation of biological functions. Transcriptome analyses of postmortem mRNA from a tissue fragment may determine unique molecular identifiers for specific organs and demonstrate unique patterns of gene expression that can provide essential contextual anatomical information. We evaluated the impact of targeted transcriptome analysis using RNA sequencing to reveal global changes in postmortem gene expression in liver tissues from 27 Italian and United States corpses: 3.5-hour-old to 37-day-old. We found that our single blind study using eight liver tissue-specific gene biomarkers (e.g. AMBP and AHSG) is highly specific, with autopsy-derived organ samples correctly identified as tissues originating from postmortem livers. The results demonstrate that 98–100% of sequencing reads were mapped to these liver biomarkers. Our findings indicate that gene expression signatures of mRNA exposed up to 37 days of autolysis, can be used to validate the putative identity of tissue fragments.

Recognition and management of adults with Turner syndrome: From the transition of adolescence through the senior years

Turner syndrome is recognized now as a syndrome familiar not only to pediatricians and pediatric specialists, medical geneticists, adult endocrinologists, and cardiologists, but also increasingly to primary care providers, internal medicine specialists, obstetricians, and reproductive medicine specialists. In addition, the care of women with Turner syndrome may involve social services, and various educational and neuropsychologic therapies. This article focuses on the recognition and management of Turner syndrome from adolescents in transition, through adulthood, and into another transition as older women. It can be viewed as an interpretation of recent international guidelines, complementary to those recommendations, and in some instances, an update. An attempt was made to provide an international perspective. Finally, the women and families who live with Turner syndrome and who inspired several sections, are themselves part of the broad readership that may benefit from this review.