The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday; April 19,1984 - Page 27
amethodMt
TEL AVIV —
A new method of detecting a number of fetal malformations by means of a simple, inexpensive blood test has been developed by Prof. Hanoch Slor, chairman of the de-partment oT human genetics at Tel Aviv University's Sackler School of Medicine and his research group.
The test enables diagnosis of congenital defects of the spine and nervous syistem known as NTD'i, (Neura) Tube Defects); several gastrointestinal disorders; and a rare hereditary kidney disease.
Based on the method as enzyme immunoassay (EIA), the test is for Alpha - fetoprotein (AFP), a substance produced by the fetus. Certain amounts of AFP in the amniotic fluid and maternal blood are normal during pregnancy, but elevated levels may indicate fetal malformations (or, in some cases, a multiple pregnaincy).
Two of die most common of these defects are anencephaly, in which the development of the fetal skull and brain^ is impaired, and meningomyelocele. These can-dtions occur in more than one in 1,000 live births, and in certain areas, for example Scotland and belisuid, the incidence is as high as five per l^OOiO. Children born with these defects seldom live longer than a few monUis.
Infants with meningomyelocele can be operated on, but they remain with paralysis of the lower limbs and incontinence of theb bladder in most cases.
'' When such defects are present in the embryo, there will be an increase of AFP in the maternal blood, because of an increase in the amniotic fluid. We can now detect this protein as early as the 16th week
> of pregnancy, with a simple blood test requiring only about 1/100 of a milliliter of blood. Our method is sensitive to less than one nanogram (one-millionth of a mil-
Jigram) per cubic centi-
meter of blood," Prof. Slor explained.
Ifthe test is positive, ai second test is done, followed by an ultrasound scan and finally amnio-cehtesisi If the fetus has an NTD, there is still .time to terminate the pregnancy before it is too faradvanced.
In non-pregnant individuals, a high level of AFP in the blood may indicate a malignant tumor of the liver or ovaries (or of the testicles in males).
The new test, produced in the form of a diagnostic kit, can replace the raLdioimmun-assay (RIA) test for AFP, which up to now was the most sensitive method for detecting that pro-
tein, and is- used by several laboratories in variOTs countries.
RIA, however, uses radioisotopes and therefore has some inherent risks for the users because of possible con-tamihatioii. It also has a relatively short shelf life, poses problems of disposal of the radioactivity, and requires expensive instrumentations. Thus it is restricted to use by highly specialized laboratories.
In contrast, the new EIA test lis much simpler, takes only three hours to perform, is far less expensive than RIA, and requires simple and inexpensive i n s t r u -mentation. It is therefore suitable for any common
clinical laboratory.
Because of its simplicity and low price, the new test is easily adaptable to a universal screening program for all pregnant women. About 20,000 women have already been tested in a pilot AFP screening program, partially funded by Israel's ministry of health, at Tel Aviv Medical Centre's Serlin Maternity Hospital. This pilot program, under the supervision of Prof. Cyril Legum of Sackler's departments of pediatrics and human genetics, ini-^; tially used the RIA method and later shifted to the new EIA method. A national screening plan is now being evaluated by the ministry.
e su
By
Dr. DAVID GEFFEN
JERUSALEM [WZPS]— The earliest reference to the ornamental plate that-decorates the Passover seder table is to be found in the Mishna Pesachin. There it is called, in Hebrew, Ke'arah and the various symbolic foods relating to Passover which are to be placed upon it are also mentioned.
While the haggadah was illustrated by illumination in the Middle Ages, decorations for the Passover plate are not known until the early Renaissance period. Interestingly enough in the haggadah illuminations the Ashkenazi version of the Passover plate is depicted as round and theSephardic and Italian versions as a woven basket.
Various materials have been used for the Passover plate inclading porcelain, stoneware, pewter, wood, silver and in more recent times plastic. The pli^s contain a variety of pictnres relating to the exodus from Egypt, the seder meal Itself and the four sons. These illustrations added an additional
Seder plate — ghized earthenware with symbols of die Festival, Jerusalem, 19di century. [WZPS photo]
dimension to the educational value of the seder table, and the artist's work made the setting even more festive.
Ceramic plates for Passover are known.from the 1500s. They were made initially in Spain and later in Italy. The Delft seder dish from the 1600s is considered a classic in its own right. A 20th century English bone china seder plate with individual dishes for each of the Passover seder symbols is no less outstanding.
Even the Jewish com-
munity in 19th century Palestine left us a poignant reminder of its joyful celebration of Passover —- a glazed cermaic seder plate which can be found today in the Wolfson Museum in Jerusalem. The aspects of the Passover story are depicted but most important is the word Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) on the face of the plate. This plate was a dramatic reminder for all those who used it of the concluding words in the seder: "Next Year in Jerusalem."
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