General non-specific morbidity is reduced after vaccination within the third month of life--the Greifswald study.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of many serious infectious diseases fundamentally decline as a success of consequent vaccination regimens. However, it is a matter of discussion if vaccination might cause unspecific negative side effects on the immune system. To answer this, we performed a clinical study on children with the question as to whether there is an enhanced frequency of infection diseases after vaccination or not. METHODS: The study population (n=496) was randomized to a group of vaccinated children (first vaccination on the 60th day of life, n=201) and a group of unvaccinated children (first vaccination on the 90th day of life, n=295). Frequencies of unspecific, morbidity-related signs were recorded by the mothers with a diary card. These data were taken for further statistical analysis to determine if the factor "vaccination" does have a significant effect on the variable "morbidity". RESULTS: Various infectious disease-associated symptoms (vomiting, coughing, signs of rhinitis, restlessness, rash and pain) were significantly less often seen in vaccinated than in non-vaccinated children. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed that children who received vaccination against diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus, HiB and poliomyelitis simultaneously within the third month of life do not exhibit enhanced frequencies of infectious disease-associated symptoms. In contrary, the frequencies of infection-associated symptoms were found to be significantly reduced. This might be caused by a vaccination-associated unspecific enhancement of immunological activity (e.g. mediated by interleukin 2) or by other presently still unknown factors.

The effect of N-acetyl-cysteine (Mucosolvin) on the transmural potential difference of the mucosa in children.

The mucosa of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tract produces an active transepithelial (or transmural) electric potential difference (tpd), which can be measured (in millivolts, mV). In CF-children receiving oral N-acetyl-cysteine treatment, the tpd of the buccal mucosa is largely the same as that in non-CF-children; the tpd of the nasal mucosa is significantly higher in CF-children. Given orally, N-acetyl-cysteine also provokes a significant decrease in the rectal mucosa tpd in CF-children. We suggest the effect is caused either by an osmotic effect of N-acetyl-cysteine (local), and/or by alteration of the factors regulating basal electrolyte transport/conductance of epithelia (chloride secretion? leaky junction?).

[Pharmaco-kinetic investigations of a new gall bladder contrast medium--iodoxaminic acid (author's transl)]. / Pharmakokinetische Untersuchungen mit dem neuen Gallenkontrastmittel Iodoxaminsäure

Pharmaco-kinetic studies of the cholecystographic contrast medium iodoxaminic acid (Diglumin-Iodaxamate) which is characterised by low toxicity, revealed a half-value period of 93 minutes in the serum and a urinary excretion rate of 12.5% in 24 hours. This indicated the probability that this medium would be suitable for the radiological demonstration of the biliary tract when compared with known and tried contrast media.