Partitioning and inactivation of viruses by the caprylic acid precipitation followed by a terminal pasteurization in the manufacturing process of horse immunoglobulins.

Caprylic acid (octanoic acid), has been used for over 50 years as a stabilizer of human albumin during pasteurization. In addition caprylic acid is of great interest, by providing the advantage of purifying mammalian immunoglobulins and clearing viruses infectivity in a single step. Exploiting these two properties, we sequentially used the caprylic acid precipitation and the pasteurization to purify horse hyperimmune globulins used in the manufacturing of Sérocytol. To evaluate the effectiveness of the process for the removal/inactivation of viruses, spiking studies were carried out for each dedicated step. Bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV), pseudorabies virus (PRV), encephalomyocarditis virus (EMCV) and minute virus of mice (MVM) were used for the virological validation. Our data show that the treatment with caprylic acid 5% (v/v) can effectively be used as well to purify or to ensure viral safety of immunoglobulins. Caprylic acid precipitation was very efficient in removing and/or inactivating enveloped viruses (PRV, BVDV) and moderately efficient against non-enveloped viruses (MVM, ECMV). However the combination with the pasteurization ensured an efficient protection against both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses. So that viruses surviving to the caprylic acid precipitation will be neutralized by pasteurization. Significant log reduction were achieved > or =9 log(10) for enveloped viruses and 4 log(10) for non-enveloped viruses, providing the evidence of a margin of viral safety achieved by our manufacturing process. Its a simple and non-expensive manufacturing process of immunoglobulins easily validated that we have adapted to a large production scale with a programmable operating system.

Argon laser photocoagulation of various angiomas.

This paper presents the experience of the authors in treating over a hundred patients with a variety of cutaneous vascular lesions, using the argon laser. The value of using the ophthalmological laser with its microscope is stressed, particularly for facial lesions.

[Comparison of macular electroretinography and psychophysical tests in diabetic retinopathy with intraretinal edema]. / Electrorétinogramme maculaire et tests psychophysiques comparés dans la rétinopathie diabétique avec oedème intrarétinien.

Short comparison between psychophysic and electrodiagnostic tests in 20 eyes with macular edema from diabetic retinopathy. De Lange's curve, the critical flicker frequency in central fixation and the macular ERG are compared with the classical EOG and global ERG data. The methodology is briefly described. It allows a new approach of the macula and the macular ERG responses confirms the clinical tests.