Solid Tissues

Abstract

Tissue culture procedures for human cells are described which can be used for several purposes, namely biochemical, molecular or cytogenetic investigations. With respect to the aim of this manual the protocols will focus specifically on applications which result in high quality chromosome preparations. Investigations of solid tissues in clinical cytogenetics are helpful, for example to analyse embryonic or fetal tissues after abortion or to search for mosaics in individuals with phenotype/karyotype discrepancies after karyotyping lymphocytes. For long-term cultures of solid tissues biopsies of numerous organs or somatic cell systems can, in principle, be used. However, in clinical cytogenetics the analysis is preferably done on tissues which are easily accessible and which show a well-known high growth rate under in vitro conditions. In cases of abortions these tissues are skin, achilles tendon, placenta (CVS long-term culture see Chapter 13), amniotic membrane, or the umbilical cord. For postnatal diagnosis gonadal tissue is examined after biopsy or gonadectomy in cases of gonadal anomalies.