A B S T R A C T Heat-labile opsonic activity was measured simultaneously in serum and pleural fluid of patients with transudates, infectious exudates (with positive or negative bacterial culture) and neoplastic exudates, using two different complement-dependent phagocytic tests: the killing of Staphylococcus aureus Wood 46 variant strain (K50 opsonic titers) and the assessment of ingestion rate of endotoxin-coated paraffin particles (Oil Red 0 uptake test). K50 opsonic titers were lower in culture-positive pleural effusions as compared to culture-negative (P < 0.002) or neoplastic effusions (P < 0.002). These results were corroborated by the Oil Red 0 uptake test. The data obtained with the two assays showed a significant correlation (P < 0.001).The hemolytic activity ofcomplement (CH50) as well as the levels ofC3 breakdown product, C3d, were measured in the same sera and pleural fluid samples and in an additional group ofpatients with pleural effusions of the same etiology. Effusions with positive cultures showed lower CH50 values (P < 0.01) and higher C3d values (P < 0.05) when compared to culture-negative pleural fluids. Finally, evidence for immune complexes in pleural effusions and sera was looked for by determination of Clq binding activity. Levels were higher in culture-positive effusions when compared to culturenegative fluids (P = 0.005).K50 opsonic titers showed a positive correlation with CH50 values (P < 0.001) for all fluids tested. Similarly Clq binding activity correlated with C3d levels in ef-A preliminary report of this work was presented at

Case report of a young woman, aged 27, suffering from severe megaloblastic anemia due to folic acid deficiency. The factor responsible for this deficiency seems to be the regular use of oral contraceptives for 3 years (Noracycline 22®). Recent investigation evidenced the existence of selective malabsorption of food folates, due to the action of hormonal contraceptives on the intestinal conjugase. It can thus be admitted that contraceptive drugs play a prominent part in the genesis of this type of anemia. However, other factors must also be considered, like malnutrition and a masked malabsorption syndrome. The relation with megaloblastic anemia in pregnancy is discussed

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A 75-year-old woman was hospitalized with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. During a period of 22 months the patient had six hemolytic crises which responded to treatment with prednisone and azathioprine. During the last admission the patient presented a sideroblastic anemia with 98% of ‘ring sideroblasts’ in the bone marrow. This association has never, to our knowledge, been reported before. It is possible that the immunosuppression played a definite role in the development of this sideroblastic anemia

A patient with renal disease developed Coombs-positive hemolytic anemia while receiving cephalothin therapy. An anti-cephalothin IgG antibody was detected in the patient’s serum and in the eluates from her erythrocytes. In addition, nonimmunologic binding of normal and patient’s serum proteins to her own and cephalothin-coated normal red cells was demonstrated. Skin tests and in vitro lymphocyte stimulation revealed that the patient was sensitized to cephalothin and also to ampicillin. Careful investigation of drug-induced hemolytic anemias reveals the complexity of the immune mechanisms involved.

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Complement analyses performed on serially collected plasma samples from 10 patients during acute infectious pneumonia or bronchopneumonia showed normal or increased values for hemolytic activity and Clq, C4, C3, and factor B levels. However, the levels of C3 breakdown products (C3d) were significantly (greater than 2 SD) increased in six patients during the first three days of observation, suggesting that hypercatabolism of complement components may occur during the acute phase of infectious pneumonia concomitant with a hypersynthesis of some complement components. Evidence of circulating immune complexes was obtained only in two patients with the 125I-Clq Binding Test.

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