Several parents have asked about the merits of analyzing tonsil or adenoid tissue taken during elective surgery from children with developmental disorders. This tissue is in many ways identical to the lymphoid tissue in the GI tract, such as that found in areas of lymphoid nodular hyperplasia (LNH). Analysis of the tissue may provide important insights into immune system function as well as the presence and nature of any infections in affected children. Pending approval from the Investigational Review Board for this study, we would be happy to receive these tissues for storage for possible future analysis. If you would like to have your child included in any future studies involving tonsil or adenoid tissue, please follow the directions below.

PLEASE FOLLOW THESE STEPS CAREFULLY

Ideally we receive fresh-frozen tissue in addition to tissue sections on glass slides that are processed by a laboratory for microscopic examination. If your child has already undergone tonsillectomy or adenoidectomy and frozen tissue is not available, we can also process the paraffin-embedded tissue that is held in the hospital’s pathology laboratory. You will need to request in a letter to the pathology lab at your child's hospital that they release this sample to us.

Fresh tissue should be placed in a Cryotube (http://www.robertsoxygen.com/htmlfiles/Nunc/Nunc.htm) or analogue container, and the tube should be clearly labeled with your child’s name, date of birth, and hospital number. The tube should be placed immediately in a freezer at -70#176;C. The frozen sample should be shipped on dry ice by DHL (or a similar company with expedited and frozen service) to this address:

Thoughtful House
Attn. Research Department
3001 Bee Cave Rd., Suite 120
Austin, TX 78746

When frozen tissue is not available, paraffin-embedded, formalin-fixed, hematoxylin- and eosin-stained tissue sections (routinely prepared by the hospital for analysis of your child's tissue) should be sent to the address below in a secure container at room temperature, clearly labeled with your child’s name, date of birth, and hospital number.

Please send your contact details with these samples, and also notify us if contacts for you change. If the research moves forward, you will be asked to complete a short questionnaire at a later date.

PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOUR CHILD'S SAMPLES ARE CAREFULLY LABELLED WITH HIS/HER NAME, DATE-OF-BIRTH, ADDRESS, AND HOSPITAL NUMBER