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Whole blood and plasma drawn into plastic bags containing citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD) and stored at 4 degrees C for various periods were studied for variations of coagulation factor and fibrinolytic activity. The blood was collected and processed in the conventional way. The most labile component, factor VIII coagulant activity, decreased to about 50 percent of its original value within the first 24 hours in whole blood, but thereafter, it decreased more slowly. Storage of whole blood for 6 hours at 4 degrees C had an insignificant effect on VIII coagulant activity; an even slower decrease was found for factor VIII coagulant antigen. The major fall in VIII coagulant activity occurred between 6 and 24 hours of whole blood storage. Factor VIII-related antigen remained normal for about 1 week, but on further storage showed signs of proteolytic degradation. In plasma, there was a successive decrease in VIII coagulant activity with its minimum level (about 50% decrease as compared with the original level) after 7 to 14 days of storage. All other factor VIII activities in plasma remained unchanged throughout the study. Factor V retained its activity for about 1 week in the whole blood. Factors II, VII, IX, X, XII, XIII and fibrinogen did not fall below normal during a storage period of 35 days, nor was there any indication of increased fibrinolytic activity in either whole blood or plasma. Storage of whole blood and plasma at 4 degrees C for 1 to 2 weeks seems to have relatively little effect on the levels and function of various coagulation components with the possible exception of factor VIII coagulant activity.

The occurrence of Campylobacter and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC) was studied in faecal samples from Tanzanian children (< 5 years of age), adolescents and adults (only Campylobacter) with and without diarrhoea. The Campylobacter strains isolated were tested for subspecies, enterotoxigenicity and serotype. Out of 394 children with diarrhoea 18% were infected with Campylobacter and 20% with ETEC. In 278 samples tested for Campylobacter and 136 tested for ETEC from asymptomatic children the corresponding numbers were 12 and 5%, respectively. In children < 18 months with diarrhoea Campylobacter was noted in 22% and ETEC in 18%, whereas the figures were 11 and 4% respectively in asymptomatic children. In the age group 18 months to 5 years Campylobacter was demonstrated in 2% of the children with diarrhoea and 27% had ETEC, while the figures were 15 and 8% for asymptomatic children. Among adults the prevalence of Campylobacter-positive samples was 1% both for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. There were no seasonal differences in the prevalences of both Campylobacter and ETEC either in the symptomatic or the asymptomatic group. Campylobacter jejuni was the dominating Campylobacter species among both symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. C. jejuni strains from patients with diarrhoea were significantly more often enterotoxigenic than were C. coli strains. The serotype pattern regarding Campylobacter was in general similar for symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. We conclude that Campylobacter and ETEC are common causes of bacterial diarrhoea in Tanzanian children, and that Campylobacter infections are more important in children younger than 18 months, than in older ones.