[Membrane phosphatidylethanolamine methylase in blood leukocytes and alveolar macrophages of asthmatic patients]. / Etude de la phosphatidyl ethanolamine méthylase (PEMT) membranaire sur les leucocytes sanguins et les macrophages alvéolaires chez le sujet asthmatique.

Phosphatidyl ethanolamine methylase (PEMT) is an enzyme involved in the methylation of membrane phospholipids which plays a very important role in the modulation of the activity of the beta-receptors and the production of phosphatidylcholine, substrate of phospholipase A2. This report describes a study of PEMT on the membranes of blood leucocytes and alveolar macrophages obtained by bronchoalveolar washings in different types of asthma: allergic, intrinsic and occupational. This was accompanied by parallel study of respiratory function tests and the level of bronchial reactivity to carbachol in asthma sufferers as well as other alveolar biological parameters: phospholipid fractions of surfactant, angiotensin conversion enzyme and protein/albumin ratio. The authors found a significant increase (in comparison with controls) in PEMT activity both in macrophages and leucocytes in cases of intrinsic asthma. However, there was no correlation between the level of activity of the enzyme and the degree of bronchial hyper-reactivity. There was no change in alveolar phospholipid environment. In the light of these findings, the role of membrane activation of the alveolar macrophage is discussed in the physiopathology of intrinsic asthma.

The use of jet-injectors in BCG vaccination.

In mass vaccination programmes, the jet-injection of vaccine may have considerable operational advantages over the classical techniques. The technical performance of two models of jet-injector, the Dermo-Jet and the Ped-O-Jet, in BCG vaccination was assessed in a number of studies which are reviewed by the authors. It is shown that the jet-injectors do not administer the full dose for which they are calibrated and that the size of the vaccination lesion varies more than after vaccination by syringe.By increasing the dosage considerably, the results of vaccination by jet-injection may be improved to a certain extent but the risk of unpleasant reactions is also increased.