[Silicosis in Switzerland. The jurist's viewpoint: compensation for silicotic patients by the National Fund]. / La silicose en Suisse. Le point de vue du juriste: l'indemnisation du silicotique par la Caisse nationale.

Occupational diseases are defined in the light of present and forthcoming legislation. Administrative processing and the conditions for indemnity are described. The problems surrounding the level of disability pensions for silicotics and the determination of annual income are central to the discussion. International conventions and judicial procedures are briefly reviewed.

[First results of a longitudinal survey upon the small airways disease]. / Premiers résultats d'une, étude longitudinale sur la "maladie des petites voies aériennes".

Five years after a cross-sectional survey concerning the small airways disease within a working population aged 18 to 66 years, the authors carried on a new study within the same sample of population (272 subjects) using the same methodology of research : standard questionnaire and spirometry (VC, FEV1, FEV1/VC, MEF 25-75/VC). The goal of this study was to assess the functional outlook of the individuals depending on the functional status recorded in the frame of the first study, i.e. normal ventilatory status, small airways disease, advanced bronchial obstruction. The results showed that after five years there is a worsening of the ventilatory status, mostly in men and in aged persons at start. This worsening arises from the movement from one category to another towards the advanced bronchial obstruction. This movement was reversible from small airways disease to normal status. Conversely, the movement from small airways disease to advanced bronchial obstruction was irreversible. This study shows that small airways disease is an intermediate condition between normal status and advanced bronchial obstruction. Three risk factors were put in evidence both for small airways disease and for movement towards advanced bronchial obstruction : male sex, aging and tobacco smoking.

[Value of 25-75 percent maximum expiratory flow as compared with vital capacity (ratio of MEF 25-75 to VC) in the detection of ventilatory disorders of the small air passages]. / Valoarea debitului maxim expirator 25--75% reportat la capacitatea vitala (DME 25--75/C.V.) în detectarea tulburarilor ventilatorii ale cailor aeriene mici.

The author has investigated the feasibility of DME 25--75/C.V. as a test for the detection of ventilatory disturbances of the small aerial pathways, by comparing the results with those of other tests considered to be very sensitive, such as Vmax 50% and 25% of C.V., Vmax 50% and 25% of C.V. of an air curve and that of a He-O2 mixture (80%--20%), and the isoflow volume. The study was carried out in 90 subjects, divided in two groups in relation to the values obtained by the DME 25--75/C.V., as follows : 44 subjects with bronchial obstruction and 46 subjects showing functional signs of obstruction of the small aerial pathways. The results have indicated that the two populations classified according to this criterium are statistically different also with regard to other tests applied, indicating the feasibility of the test under study, which, compared to other tests, has the advantage of higher sensitivity in relation to the simplicity of the device.

[The reliability of the maximal expiratory flow 25-75o/o referred to the vital capacity (MMEF 25-75/VC) in the detection of peripheral ventilatory disorders]. / Etude de la fiabilité du débit maximal expiratoire 25-75% rapporté à la capacité vitale (DME 25-75/CV) dans la détection des troubles ventilatoires périphériques.

The reliability of MMEF 25-75/VC in the detection of ventilatory disorders of the small airways has been studied. The test was compared with other which, according to the literature, have displayed great sensitivity in this respect (Vmax 50% and 25%, delta Vmax 50% and 25% and iso-flow volume). The study was performed in 90 individuals and showed a good correlation between the results of MMEF 25-75/VC and the other above-mentioned tests.

[Levamisole-induced immunitary responses in patients operated from bronchogenic carcinoma (author's transl)]. / Une étude des réponses immunitaires au lévamisole chez les malades opérés de cancer bronchique.

The authors studied the immunitary responses to Levamisole in a group of patients recently operated for bronchogenic carcinoma. The results were compared with those obtained from two other groups, i.e. one of patients recently operated of bronchogenic carcinoma but not treated with Levamisole and another one of patients recently operated for a non-neoplastic disease and also not treated with Levamisole. All subjects underwent a similar investigation of the cell-mediated and the humoral immunity parameters at the beginning of the study and after 30 days. The comparison of the results showed a depression of the cell-mediated immunity in the patients operated for bronchogenic carcinoma. This depression subsided more promptly in patients submitted to Levamisole therapy. This effect was achieved particularly through a better blastogenic responsiveness to the PHA and an enhanced Rosettes E forming. The use of Levamisole in the pre- and post-operative period is thought to be beneficial in order to avoid distant recurrences. This effect is obtained by a stimulation of host defense mechanisms.

[Blood gas study in "small airway disease"]. / Une etude de la gazométrie sanguine dans le cadre de la "maladie des petites bronches".

A study of blood gasometry at rest and after exercise was carried out on 98 subjects: 49 healthy, 31 cases with "small airway disease" and 18 cases of clinically nondecompensated obstructive lung disease. The most interesting results arose from the study of PaO2. Its mean value increased after exercise in all groups, but in a manner less obvious as the bronchial obstruction appeared and increased. This increase was almost imperceptible in obstructive patients. The whole of gasometric behaviour ranged the subjects with "small airway disease" in an intermediate position between the normal controls and the obstructive patients. This finding leads the authors to suppose that the "small airway disease" implies the existence of disorders of intrapulmonary gas exchanges which foreshadow the obstructive disease.

[Diffuse bronchial calcinosis revealing latent primary hyperparathyroidism]. / Calcinose bronchique diffuse révélatrice d'une hyperparathyroïdie primaire fruste

The authors report an unusual case of diffuse bronchial calcinosis of established histology, found during a routine bronchoscopy in a pulmonary tuberculous patient aged 46. The lesions consisted in several small pale bulgings on the wall of the main bronchi on both sides. This finding led to the diagnosis of rough primary hyperparathyroidism.