[Who are the recipients of labile blood products? A multicenter nation-wide study--a "donation day." Blood banks, health facilities].

During the years 1994-2001, a progressive decrease of the number of blood units transfused has been reported in France. In contrast, since 2002, there is an increasing number of blood units issuing (+7.6% between 2001 and 2006) and this must be investigated.

[Does red blood cell storage time still influence ICU survival?].

Objective: Few studies have shown that aged packed red blood cells (RBC) transfusion negatively influenced the outcome of ICU patients, probably related to storage lesions which could be decreased by leukodepletion of RBC. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of aged leukodepleted-RBC pack, on the outcome of ICU patients.

Design: Retrospective, observational, cohort study in a Medical Intensive Care Unit.

[Are the indications and choice of labile blood products adapted? National survey on prescriber's knowledge].

Objective: There is little data available on current practice related to prescription of labile blood products (LBP) by French physicians. The aim of this study was to assess whether prescriptions were conform to Anaes (French Medicine's agency) guidelines, with regard not only to indications but also quality of the products, so as to define the improvements that could be made.

Method: Thirty-four clinical case reports, classified by specialties were sent to prescribing physicians working in the regional health centers, from 17 different blood banks, from October 1997 to February 1998.

Transmission of HIV by transfusion of HIV-screened blood: the value of a national register. The 'Recipients' Study Group of the French Society of Blood Transfusion.

A National Register of transfusion-transmitted infections was opened by the French Society of Blood Transfusion on 1 October, 1986. Out of 54 initially reported cases of HIV-infection, allegedly transmitted by blood components, further investigation could be completed in 33 cases. The transfusional origin of contamination was considered as established or probable in 28/33 cases, either because a potentially infectious unit was identified among those transfused to the recipient (23/28), or because the recipient was known to be seronegative before transfusion (5/28), or both (10/28).

[Erythroblastopenia in a child with immune deficiency and hyper IgM].

The authors report the case of a boy with a history of recurrent infections, who presented with erythroblastopenia at age 5 years. An immune deficiency with hyper IgM was found. Erythroblastopenia appeared to be related to a serum inhibitor of erythropoiesis.

[Serum immune complexes in rheumatoid arthritis (a study of 100 cases). Comparison of the results obtained by four different detection techniques].

The detection of serum immune complexes in cases of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) was performed using four different detection techniques: cryoglobuline (CG), the polyethylene glycol C1q test (PEGC1q), the 125I labelled C1q test (C1qBA) and the detection of anticomplement power (ACP). CG, PEGC1q, and C1qBA are more often positive in cases of sero-positive RA than in sero-negative RA (p less than 0,001 for each test). There are significant and relatively concordant correlations between the positivity of these three tests and certain clinical and laboratory parameters in particular, the level of rheumatoid factor (p less than 0,001) and the presence of extra-articular manifestations.

Abnormal T cell subpopulations and circulating immune complexes in the Guillain-Barré syndrome and multiple sclerosis.

Immunologic studies were performed in 21 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 16 with the Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS). Levels of thymus-derived (T) cells measured by "total" and "active" rosette formation between sheep erythrocytes and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (TEt, TEa) were within normal limits in all the patients, with the exception of four GBS patients, including one who also had received chemotherapy for lymphoma and three who were receiving steroids. When lymphocytes from the 21 patients were incubated with the bone-marrow-derived (B) lymphoblastoid cell line PGLC-33H, there were, for 12 of 18 MS patients and 11 of 16 GBS patients, significant decreases in a subpopulation of peripheral blood T lymphocytes that form "PGLC rosettes" (PGR) with the PGLC-33H cells.

Isolation of soluble immune complexes by affinity chromatography using staphylococcal protein A--Sepharose as substrate.

This report describes a technique for the general isolation of immune complexes, based on a combination of gel filtration and affinity chromatography. The first step is the preparation of a globulin-enriched fraction by precipitation with ammonium sulfate at 50% saturation, or of an immune-complex-enriched fraction by precipitation with 5% polyethylene glycol 6000. The enriched fraction is then subfractionated by gel filtration in Ultrogel AcA 34.

Atypical B cell dyscrasia with Bence-Jones proteinuria and intracellular retention of gamma-chains.

A case of atypical B cell dyscrasia is described. The patient presented with a history of weakness, bone pain, and bleeding. A K-type paraprotein was found in serum and urine.

Mixed IgG-IgM cryoglobulinemia with glomerulonephritis. Immunochemical, fluorescent and ultrastructural study of kidney and in vitro cryoprecipitate.

Comparative studies of renal biopsy specimens and in vitro cryoprecipitate were carried out in a patient with mixed immunoglobulin G (IgG)-immunoglobulin M (IgM) cryoglobulinemia associated with glomerulonephritis. The IgM isolated from the cryoprecipitate was an antibody with anti-IgG activity. Proliferative endocapillary glomerulonephritis was found in the kidney, with large amorphous deposits in the capillary walls.

Immune complex deposits in systemic lupus erythematosus kidney without histological or functional alterations.

This study demonstrates that in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the presence of immune complexes on the glomerular basement membrane (GEM) does not invariabley result in histological and/or functional lesions of the kidney. Among a group of 29 lupus patients, six subjects were selected for thorough investigation, because their renal function was normal or only slightly altered though they had suffered from SLE for 20 months to 18 years. All patients had antinuclear factor, anti-native-DNA antibody and a low level of complement; 3 had anti-denatured-DNA antibody, 2 had denatured DNA-anti-denatured-DNA circulating complexes and 3 had anti-RNA-protein antibody.