These data suggest that there are significant differences in the pharmacokinetics of sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of isoflavones. This may have important implications for the meal frequency and maintenance of target tissue bioactivity required to elicit potential health benefits.

A human reference serum pool, lot 89-S, has been developed for use in quantitating concentrations of antibody to Streptococcus pneumoniae. Weight-based units have been assigned to antibodies to 11 pneumococcal polysaccharide (PnPs) serotypes (1, 3, 4, 5, 6B, 7F, 9V, 14, 18C, 19F, and 23F) by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methodology and a human standard reference serum, USNRP IS 1644. The experimentally derived assignments for anti-PnPs antibodies of the immunoglobulin G (IgG), IgM, and IgA isotypes in lot 89-S correlate well to the separately determined immunoglobulin assignment. These assignments for this antipneumococcal standard serum were used to quantitate IgG, IgM, and IgA isotype levels and the total immunoglobulin level in pediatric samples from a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine trial. The data indicate that these assignments may be used to assess levels of antibody to PnPs serotypes in human serum.

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Summary Risk factors for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) include young and old age, comorbidities (such as splenic dysfunction, immunodeficiencies, chronic renal disease, chronic heart or lung disease or cerebral spinal fluid leak), crowded environments or poor socioeconomic conditions. Universal use of the 7‐valent pneumococcal conjugate (7vPncCRM) vaccine for infants and young children has led to significant decreases in IPD in the vaccinated population (direct protection), and there has also been a decrease in the incidence of IPD among the nonvaccinated population (indirect immunity; herd protection). While 7vPncCRM vaccine is administered universally to children in USA, many countries of the European Union have chosen to target children with comorbidities. This review aims to highlight individual risk factors for IPD, describe studies that evaluated pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in at‐risk groups and estimate the proportion of at‐risk children who may have been vaccinated in the European Union since the 7vPncCRM vaccine was introduced, using UK as an example. Although immunisation targeting only children with comorbidities may achieve satisfactory results for a few, many otherwise healthy children at risk simply because of their age will be neglected, and herd protection might not be established.

The technique of freezing blood platelets has proven very useful in transfusion support of some patients who have become alloimmunized by prior transfusions. Although transfused frozen platelets have an acceptable life span in vivo, functional defects have been found when these cells were tested in vitro. The adhesive properties of frozen platelets were investigated by use of a modified Baumgartner chamber to perform paired perfusion studies of fresh versus frozen platelets or fresh versus 5-day-stored platelets from the same whole blood unit. Platelets were either frozen in liquid nitrogen with dimethyl sulfoxide as the cryopreservative or stored under standard blood bank conditions for 5 days. The freeze-thaw recovery of platelets was 73 +/- 8 percent. Frozen platelets exhibited a significant decrease in platelet adhesion as compared to fresh platelets from the same unit; adhesion of frozen platelets was only 53 percent of that of fresh platelets (p = 0.04). A slight, but insignificant decrease was noted with platelets stored for 5 days (86%, p = 0.197). These findings indicate that frozen-thawed platelets have a significant defect in adhesive capacity as compared to fresh platelets, and that platelets stored under blood bank conditions for 5 days maintain adhesive capacity well.

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