C-Reactive Protein: Potential Significance of Quantitation in Patients with Chronic Diseases

Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in 351 patients with certain chronic diseases were assayed by a micro-double immunodiffusion technique developed and used in this hospital. Elevation of CRP values and severity of disease were evident in the following clinical entities: 31 of 54 patients (57%) with liver cirrhosis; 122 of 204 (60%) hepatitis patients; 34 of 52 (65%) patients with gastro-intestinal surgery; 8 of 21 (38%) uremic patients; and all of 20 patients with renal transplantation. There was good correlation between markedly elevated serum CRP values and degree of inflammation and/or physiologic stress during clinical course and recovery

Efficacy of Betaprone with Ultraviolet Irradiation on Hepatitis B Antigen in Human Plasma Pools (A Retrospective Study)

In a retrospective study, hepatitis B antigen (HB Ag) was found in 14 lots of human plasma pools (16-20 liters each) that had been treated by the combined Betaprone (BPL) with ultraviolet (UV) irradiation procedure. No evidence of clinical hepatitis was found during a six-month follow-up after 185.2 liters of HB Ag positive plasma were Infused into 257 patients. Since HB Ag positive blood products treated by BPL with UV produced no clinical hepatitis, it is evident that our treatment is efficacious against hepatitis virus agents

Immunoglobulin Levels in Serum of Normal Infants and Pre-School Children as Determined by Immunochemical Analysis

Standards for determining serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels in infants and preschool children are now possible as a result of data compiled and presented in this paper. These can be compared with adult standards used in this hospital and presented in earlier issues of the MEDICAL JOURNAL. The Hospital\u27s laboratory technique is compared with other methods for measuring IgM, IgA and IgG serum levels

Quantitative Determination of C-Reactive Protein (CRP) by Micro-Double Diffusion Technic

C-reactive protein (CRP) determinations in serum have been evaluated by two methods: the capillary tube method (presently in use) and the double diffusion technic (a newly developed procedure standardized in this laboratory). Advantages of the double diffusion technic are (1) quantitation of CRP in milligrams per 100 ml of serum, (2) differentiation of CRP from non-specific precipitates often found in patients\u27 sera, and (3) increased sensitivity. A normal range of CRP levels has been established by analyzing serum from 750 supposedly healthy blood bank donors. Ninety-five percent of the donor population possess less than 1.0 mg of CRP per 100 ml of serum (53% are negative, 23% with trace quantities and 19% with 0.2-1.0 mg per 100 ml of serum). CRP serum levels above 1.0 mg per 100 ml are significant values for clinical interpretation

Serum Immunoglobulins in the Differential Diagnosis Between Intrahepatic Viral Jaundice and Extrahepatic Obstructive Jaundice

Serum immunoglobulin levels are reported in 75 patients with jaundice: 32 with jaundice due to virus hepatitis and 43 with jaundice due to obstruction. The degrees and variations of serum immunoglobulins (Ig), (IgM, IgG and IgA) in virus hepatitis (IH and SH) with jaundice are compared with those found in obstructive jaundice. In 32 of the patients with jaundice from virus hepatitis, serum IgM (100%) and IgG (75%) were elevated above 2 Standard Deviations from the mean values. Neither IgM nor IgG levels were elevated above 2 Standard Deviations from the mean values in 33 of 43 patients (76.7%) with obstructive jaundice. In the other 10 patients, serum IgM (21%) and IgG (7%) were elevated above 2 Standard Devituions from the mean values. Case histories are presented of the five of nine patients, with obstructions and IgM elevations who had inflammatory reactions about the biliary tract

Precipitable Hetero-Antibodies in Man to Animal Serum Proteins: Relation to Immunoglobulin Status

Immunologic studies show that man develops specific antibodies to a variety of serum proteins of bovine, sheep, goat, chicken, and rabbit origins as well as antibodies against cow\u27s milk protein. The data in this report emphasize that these hetero-antibodies are more frequently found in individuals with immunological problems and/or chromosomal aberrations. The clinical significance of human hetero-antibodies against these animal proteins deserves closer clinical observation for an understanding of these immunological problems

Immunologic Status of Uremic Patients

The immunologic status of 25 uremic patients was studied with a battery of tests evaluating the humoral and cytological aspects of immunity. The individual\u27s humoral immune status was evaluated as follows: quantitation of the three major serum immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) expressed in mg/100 ml of serum and compared to established normal clinical standards (±2 SD/mean); qualitation of IgG and IgM evaluated by specific virus antibody titers and antitoxin values associated with IgG and by isoagglutinin tilers of the ABO blood groups associated with IgM. Immunoglobulin status is grouped into hyper- and hypo-immunoglobulin variations from normal and correlated with serum complement values (Beta 1C/1A and hemolytic activity). The cytological status in the evaluation consists of assaying the individual\u27s ability to produce interferon by the Sendai-Sindbis virus system in peripheral blood leukocytes. Results of the study emphasize the need for individual evaluation of uremic patients to enable more effective immuno- depressive therapy before and after renal transplantation