[Various characteristics of intravenous polyvalent immunoglobulins].

Polyvalent human immunoglobulins for intravenous use (GVP) are obtained by fractionating human plasma with ethanol, according to a method in which traces of pepsin at pH4 eliminate any anticomplementary activity. All the analytical tests have come within official requirements. Results of extended tests concerning specificity, potency, immunoglobulin subclass distribution, biological half-life and opsonic function are presented.

Groupamatic system: overview, history of development and evaluation of use.

This paper presents an overview and history of the Groupamatic system from the original conception by C. Matte through the present Groupamatic 360-C and the Minigroupamatic. The report includes the results of a recent evaluation in which 79 centres throughout the world participated.

Red blood cell antibody screening with groupamatic system. II. A two-step haemagglutination technique using a trypsin-polybren-citrate method.

The trypsin-polybren-citrate (TPC) technique is based on Lalezari's method and has been developed in the Groupamatic equipment to allow the screening of irregular allo-antibodies which are not detectable on this machine by the present routine techniques. TPC screening has two main advantages: it gives more reliable results for Rh, Kell, Lewis and P antibodies than bromelin-methyl-cellulose, and it permits the screening of Duffy and Kidd antibodies, However, although the TPC technique contributes to an improved quality of the automated screening of blood donor samples, it should not be used as the only method when recipient samples are concerned.

[The campaign "Viva la vie": trial of a modern technic of communication applied to the promotion of blood transfusion].

Since it was opened 18 months ago, the blood donor sampling Center at Orsay has used traditional means of advertising. However, although the results were satisfactory for the first year, they soon levelled off; and it was decided to adopt another approach, in the form a promotion campaign, including posters, brochures, cartoons..

Red cell antibody screening with the Groupamatic system. I. Bromelin methyl-cellulose and saline techniques: evaluation of five years' routine use.

These data comprise 1,231,024 routine tests carried out over a 5-year period on voluntary blood donors. The percentage of positive results on the machines varies from 1 to 3% of the total number of samples tested. Antibodies identified either by manual or automated techniques make up 15--20% of the positive screening reactions.

[Groupamatic in the general organization of collecting and utilization of blood at C.N.T.S].

The automatization of immunohematological tests on Groupamatic equipments and its integration in a data management system of blood units and donor files has been brought about progressively, takinginto account the initiator status of the C.N.T.

[HBs antigen screening with Groupamatic. Inhibition of passive hemagglutination and latex test].

Some agglutination tests for HBs Ag and anti-HBs detection may be easily automated. Reverse hemagglutination, needing a lengthy incubation and several steps to carry out is unfit for Groupamatic, but hemagglutination inhibition and latex agglutination may be used. Hemagglutination inhibition using selected human red cells (ORh+) coated with cesium chloride purified HBs Ag, has been now routinely used at the C.

[Irregular antibody screening by Groupamatic at the Paris (C.N.T.S.) and Toulouse (C.R.T.S.) blood transfusion centers].

We report here the experience of 3 years of irregular antibody automated screening with Groupamatic, that is to say of 661,511 samples tested in Paris and 269, 162 samples tested in Toulouse. The positive reactions in Paris were 16,296 (2.46%) out of which 2,021 irregular antibodies were identified (0.

Screening of HBs antigen and detection of corresponding antibodies on groupamatic equipment.

The widespread utilization of Groupamatic equipment for routine immunohaematological tests has increased the demand for serological procedures that can be performed with this machine. We describe the test method which was developed and with which the detection of HBs antigen has now been carried out routinely for 1 year. It is an automated haemagglutination inhibition reaction which is called GIPHA (Groupamatic inhibition of passive haemagglutination).

[Detection and titration of anti-tetanus antibodies by passive hemagglutination].

Human red cells O Rh + are coated with purified tetanus toxoid, by means of chromic chloride as coupling agent. With this reagent and by passive haemagglutination technique, antitetanus antibodies can be automatically screened and titrated in blood donnors plasmas, on Groupamatic equipments. Comparative results of three techniques: counter immunoelectrophoresis; manual passive haemagglutination; automatic passive haemagglutination are given, 4, 92 percent among the 1.

Antigen site distribution among weak A' red cell populations. A study of A3, Ax and Aend variants.

The distribution of the A receptors was studied among 'agglutinated' and 'free' populations of A variant RBC (A3, AX, Aend) known to be either partially or weakly agglutinated by human anti-A reagents. Following separation of the red cell populations and disaggregation of the clumps by mild treatment with soluble blood group substances, it was shown after appropriate controls, that among A3 ARBC, the 'agglutinated' RBC have at least five times as 'free' RBC, these latter however being strongly A positive. The differences between the A antigenic content of the AX RBC were less pronounced.