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A nutritional supplement consisting of beef serum protein hydrolysate, a glucose polymer, and medium chain triglycerides was used to treat 17 patients with cystic fibrosis of the pancreas (CFP) for periods of 3 to 31 months. Increased rates of weight gain and linear growth were seen in seven of 11 patients for whom the supplement provided 100% of the recommended daily protein intake and 100% of the caloric needs.Evaluation, using a clinical grading system, showed that there was marked improvement in general activity and in growth and nutrition, some improvement in pulmonary and physical findings, and no changes in the chest roentgenogram. Seven less severely affected patients who were given a 50% supplement showed less pronounced changes. The use of this nutritional supplement may improve the prognosis, and the management and life expectancy of patients with CFP.

Summary Twenty‐three out of thirty patients with cystic fibrosis gave strong immediate skin hypersensitivity reaction to a wide variety of allergens. Seventy‐five per cent of these had a markedly elevated serum IgE concentration whereas those patients who had negative Type 1 immediate skin reactions also had normal levels of serum IgE. The sputum of those patients with immediate skin reactivity also had positive precipitins to a variety of antigens.

SummaryThe serum from 75% of the patients with cystic fibrosis (C.F.) who had a positive prick test in their skin to at least one or more antigens, together with elevated concentrations of total serum IgE, also gave strong immediate PCA reactions in the baboon skin to Aspergillus fumigatus, bovine serum albumin and egg albumin. Of the C.F. patients, 37% also had elevated serum specific IgE to A. fumigatus whereas only 8–10% had either raised specific IgE or PCA reaction to Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus. Abolition of the PCA activity by incubating the C.F. sera or sputum at 56°C suggested that the reaginic antibody was IgE rather than IgG4. PCA reactions to a number of allergens could be detected in both the C.F. sputum and saliva.Several of the C.F. heterozygotes had a strongly positive history of allergy and a significant number of these heterozygotes had an elevated serum total IgE as well as positive PCA to Timothy grass pollen or to D. pteronyssinus similar to the patients with asthma or hay fever. Three C.F. patients who died gave strong prick test reactions to several allergens and their sera also had raised serum IgE and positive PCA to at least three different allergens, suggesting that immediate hypersensitivity is of some significance in patients with C.F.

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