[Alcohol induced changes in hemopoiesis (author's transl)].

In a prospective trial with 120 chronic alcoholics (July, 1978 to January, 1980) on admission the following haematological values significantly different from those of the normal population were found: elevated erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume (64%), increased mean corpuscular hemoglobin (32%), thrombocytopenia (48%), increased percentage of bone marrow sideroblasts (35%), decreased percentage of sideroblasts (37%), megaloblastic bone marrow changes (55%) including nuclear abnormalities (32%), and vacuolization in red cell (20%) and white cell (16%) precursors. These changes were independent of liver cirrhosis with hypersplenism (increased mean corpuscular volume in 52% of the patients who did not have liver cirrhosis, increased mean corpuscular volume in 76% of the patients who were cirrhotic but not suffering from major bleeding). Platelets returned to normal values within 6 days of discontinuation of alcohol ingestion.

[Osmotic fragility in subfractions of leucocytes in hematological diseases (author's transl)].

Leucocytes of normal persons and patients with acute and chronic granulocytic leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and non-Hodgkin lymphoma were separated into subfractions by centrifugation in discontinuous Ficoll density gradient. Osmotic resistance was examined in hypotonic NaCl solutions with decreasing concentration and by determining LDH activity in the supernatant. Suspensions of myelocytes, polymorphnuclear granulocytes, and lymphocytes of normal persons and patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia demonstrated the same osmotic resistance.

[Enzyme activities in platelets of different specific gravity in thrombocytosis of various etiology (author's transl)].

Platelets of patients with thrombocytosis following splenectomy, in chronic granulocytic leukaemia and in polycythaemia vera were separated into five fractions by centrifugation in discontinuous Ficoll density gradient. Platelet volume, content of protein and enzyme activities of lactic dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase and glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase were distinctly higher for the three groups in the heavy fraction IV compared with the light fraction I. With regard to the platelet volume, however, these differences were compensated almost completely like in the normal persons.

[Isoenzymes of acid phosphatase in blood cells of normal subjects and patients with leukemia (author's transl)].

The activities of acid phosphatases (AP) were measured in leukocytes from patients with chronic myelocytic leukemia (CML), macrophages, granulocytes, in the fractionated mononuclear cells of patients with CML and with hairy-cell-leukemia (HCL) and in the cells from patients with acute leukemia (AL). The lowest activities were found in lymphocytes of normal subjects and of patients with chronic lymphatic leukemia (CLL) and in thrombocytes. Isoenzyme (IsE) 1 was characteristic for thymocytes, IsE 2 for granulocytes, IsE 3 for pathologic blast-cells, lymphocytes and thrombocytes, IsE 4 for macrophages, IsE 5 with components a and b for the mononuclear fraction of patients with HCL.

[Enzyme activities in normal platelets of different specific gravity (author's transl)].

Platelets of normal persons were separated into five fractions by centrifugation in discontinuous Ficoll density gradients. Enzyme activities of lactic dehydrogenase, phosphoglycerate kinase, glyceraldehyde phosphate dehydrogenase, pyruvate kinase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and content of protein were constantly higher in the heavy fraction IV compared with the light fraction I. With regard to the platelet volume, however, these differences were compensated almost completely.

[Disturbances of CSF circulation, pathophysiologic, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects].

Disturbances of CSF circulation arise from the anatomic narrows of the CSF spaces and from the dependence on venous pressure of CSF absorption in the superior sagittal sinus. The author discusses the modern concepts of CSF production and circulation, the causal mechanism for hydrocephalus and the chances of compensating for a rise in CSF pressure by transependymal migration. CSF circulation (CSFc) disturbances can be subdivided into primary processes arising in the internal and external CSF spaces and secondary which are due to distant consequences of intracranial processes via interaction of the blood/CSF volume and parenchyma of the brain within the closed capsule of the skull according to the teaching of Monroe-Kellie.

[Relapsing tetanus (author's transl)].

Tetanus relapses are caused by reactivated tetanus spores which have remained in the region of the wound, and made possible by unsatisfactory immunisation during a tetanus infection. From previously communicated individual case reports, the frequency of relapse, the length of the interval and the type of course are grouped together and compared with a case of our own. Electromyography plays a decisive role in the differential diagnosis of clinically similar syndromes and hysterical reactions.