Chronic mild diarrhoea, stunted growth and neuromuscular abnormalities.

This report describes a 3 year-old girl with signs of ventricular hypertrophy, short stature, and persistent diarrhoea (without steatorrhoea or creatorrhoea) which was resistant to therapy. There was no clinical evidence of myopathy but a myopathic pattern was found on electromyography. Biochemical studies revealed no abnormalities.

Human antibodies to immunoglobulin A (IgA). A radioimmunological method for differentiation between anti-IgA antibodies and IgA in the serum of IgA deficient individuals.

In the sera of 12 out of 27 individuals with IgA deficiency (serum level below 0.02 mg IgA/ml) class-specific anti-IgA antibodies were demonstrated by haemagglutination. These sera showed false-positive results in a solid-phase inhibition radioimmunoassay (RIST) (apparent IgA concentration between 0.

A turbidimetric immuno assay (TIA) with automated individual blank compensation.

A simple and sensitive turbidimtric immunoassay (TIA) has been described. The automated method has been based on the use of the LKB reaction rate analyser, an instrument that is already present in many clinical chemical laboratories. The precipitin reaction is accelerated and enhanced by poly-ethylene glycol 6000 at a concentration of 50 g/l.

Experience in the Netherlands with an external quality control and scoring system for clinical chemistry laboratories.

A procedure is described to judge the quality of clinical chemistry hospital laboratories in The Netherlands. In 1974, 45% of the laboratories took part in the national control scheme. A score system of the results, independent of the standard deviation, opens a provisional possibility to strive for (dynamic) reference laboratories.

The molecular weight and the amino acid and carbohydrate compositions of free secretory component (SC).

Free secretory component was isolated from human milk whey using gel filtration and immunosorbent techniques. The purified protein was shown to be homogeneous in the ultracentrifuge and on cellulose acetate, polyacrylamide gel and immunoelectrophoresis. From three different preparations the molecular weight was determined using Archibald's meniscus method.

Evidence of immunochemical differences between free and bound secretory piece.

The present study of human colostrum and human milk showed that normal milk contains a considerable amount of free secretory piece in addition to IgA-bound secretory piece. This free S-piece does not show complete, but only partial identity with bound S-piece. An antiserum to the specific determinants of this free S-piece could be prepared, which antiserum will no longer react with bound S-piece.