CYTOMEGALY OF PANCREATIC D-CELLS IN TRIPLOIDY

Triploidy is a common chromosomal aberration seen in 1% of clinically recognized human pregnancies. Development beyond 10 weeks is unusual. Occasionally fetuses survive past 20 weeks; however, they usually pres ent as a stillbirth with only a few managing some hours of independent life. The clinical features of these infants cover a wide spectrum, b ut a consistent feature is organ hypoplasia and hypotonia. We observed marked enlargement of somatostatin-producing cells (D cells) in the p ancreata of triploid fetuses. Somatostatin-producing cells are widely distributed in normal mammals although concentrated in the pancreas an d gastrointestinal tract, generally being antiproliferative and having an inhibitory effect on various functions. The control of fetal growt h is not well understood. There is, however, some evidence that somato statin does play a significant part and our consistent observation of cytomegaly of the pancreatic D cells in growth-retarded triploid fetus es provides more support for this contention.