Osmotic fragility of peripheral blood lymphocytes in some lymphoproliferative disorders.

We have studied the osmotic fragility of lymphocytes in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and infectious mononucleosis. It was found that these lymphocytes had a greater osmotic fragility than the normal ones of healthy controls.

Platelet function, blood coagulation and fibrinolysis in Behcet's syndrome.

In 10 patients with Behcet's syndrome, various parameters of platelet function, blood coagulation and fibrinolysis were studied. With varying frequency the following abnormalities were found: increased retention of platelets in glass bead column, reduced platelet aggregation to low concentrations of adenosine diphosphate, elevated plasma levels of fibrinogen concentration and factor VIII activity, increased plasma antiheparin activity and impairment of fibrinolytic activity. The above abnormalities were found long after the last thrombotic episode and were more frequent in patients with a history of thrombophlebitis. It is suggested that certain hemostatic abnormalities accompany or form part of Behcet's syndrome and that they are related to the thrombotic complications characteristic of this syndrome.

A new approach to the diagnosis of beta-thalassaemia.

By use of isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gel rods we were able to detect traces of HbA (approx. 1%) as a sharp and discrete band. By overloading the gel considerable amounts of HbA (slightly contaminated with HbF) could be detected and isolated. The focused HbA was retrieved from the gels, separated from the carrier-ampholytes and concentrated by a one-step electrophoresis technique. With 3H-leuci ne-labelled haemolysates, after globin chain separation on CM-cellulose, an increase of the beta-chain counts relative to gamma-chain counts was obtained. The study of two cases of high HbF homozygous beta-thalassaemia has demonstrated that this technique may be a valuable tool in detecting minute amounts of HbA mainly in high HbF beta-thalassaemias.

Plasma alpha-lipoprotein pattern in acute viral hepatitis.

In the present study, the plasma levels of lipoproteins, triglycerides, and cholesterol were followed serially in a group of 57 patients with acute viral hepatitis. Mean plasma triglyceride levels were found elevated at the onset of the disease and gradually returned to normal, while mean plasma cholesterol values, low initially, gradually increased, alpha-lipoprotein was absent at the early stage of hepatitis in 41 out of 46 patients with mild or moderate course and reappeared gradually during the course of the disease. In 11 cases of viral hepatitis with impending or overt coma, alpha-lipoprotein was absent for the whole duration of the acute stage and never reappeared in those who eventually died, while it eventually returned to normal in those who survived. The reappearance of alpha-lipoprotein in acute viral hepatitis appears to be a sensitive index of improvement and a significant prognostic sign.

Detection of carriers of haemophilia A.

In a series of 18 known and 14 possible carriers of haemophilia A the factor VIII-related antigen was assayed. Comparison of results with the biological activity of factor VIII detected correctly 17 of 18 known carriers. On the other hand the carrier state was detected in 8 of 14 possible carriers. The results are similar to those of other investigators.