[Respiratory function and alveolar biological changes under the effect of CDP-choline in pulmonary interstitial pathology: pulmonary fibrosis and sarcoidosis].

Various anomalies of pulmonary surfactant have been described in relation to acute respiratory distress syndromes, hypersensitivity lung disease and pulmonary sarcoidosis. Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the essential phospholipid component of pulmonary surfactant. Cytidine diphosphocholine (CDP-choline) is an essential intermediary in the biosynthesis of PC.

[Phosphatidylethanolamine methylase and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities in human B lymphoid hemopathies].

Phospholipid methylase and cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase activities were studied in human B lymphoïd hemopathies (51 patients: acute lymphoblastic leukemia, B lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, hairy cell leukemia) and compared with activities in lymphoblastïd and Burkitt lymphoma cell lines and with normal B lymphocytes: methylase activity proved to be lower in ALL and high grade lymphoma and inversely related to the percent of cells in S phase state; the A/G ratio of phosphodiesterases was low in ALL and CLL and high in hairy cell leukemia and it was related to the percent of cells in S phase state.

[Which therapeutic attitude should be adopted in the presence of non-small cell bronchopulmonary cancer?].

Complete surgical excision is the best method of obtaining cure. However, this is only possible in less than one quarter of the patients. In all of the other patients, the hopes for cure are based on combinations of chemotherapy-radiotherapy-surgery, in particular preoperative chemotherapy.

[Different models for the study of a new anti-asthmatic substance].

The various physiopathological components of asthmatic disease are interwoven. Experimental models used to study the sites of impact of an anti-asthmatic substance seek to separate the different mechanisms. The in vitro bronchial tissue model is rarely available in man.

Activity of cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and methyltransferases in leukocyte membranes from allergic patients.

Cyclic AMP metabolism and methylation of phospholipids are central events which occur at the membrane level. Since a dysfunction of cell membranes seems to characterize some allergic diseases, we investigated cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and methyltransferase activities in leukocyte membrane fractions obtained from healthy volunteers and from allergic patients. The allergic group presented a significantly decreased methyltransferase activity compared with a control group, whereas cyclic AMP phosphodiesterase and noradrenaline (NA)-stimulated methyltransferase were found to be increased with respect to the control group.

Phosphatidylethanolamine methylation in leukocyte membrane preparations from allergic subjects: an unexpected result.

We studied the incorporation of [3H]methyl from [3H]methyl-S-adenosylmethionine into leukocyte phospholipids. A higher incorporation in leukocytes from control subjects than from allergic subjects was noticed.

Modulation by S-adenosyl-methionine and S-adenosyl-homocysteine of the human leucocytes histamine release.

Methylation of membrane phospholipids is an important stage in the process of histamine release. This methylation reaction can be modulated by S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM) as well as by S-adenosyl-homocysteine (SAH). The influence of SAM and of SAH upon the histamine release of leucocytes from asthmatic and normal subjects were compared.

[Angiotensin converting enzyme at different stages of extrinsic allergic alveolitis. Serum and alveolar study].

Angiotensin converting enzyme activity (ACE), albumin, potassium, and alpha1-antitrypsin were measured in the serum and in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BAL) of 10 normal control subjects and of 19 cases of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA). Among these 19 patients, 6 had a acute form of extrinsic alveolitis, 8 a subacute or chronic form, and 5 received a steroid therapy. Serum ACE is not increased in the acute forms of extrinsic alveolitis, but is significantly lower than control values in the subacute and chronic forms (p less than 0.

[Lymphomatoid granulomatosis and hypersensitivity pneumopathy. Clinical and biological study (serum and alveolar) toward a new pathogenic hypothesis of the disease].

The authors discussed the malign form of lymphomatoid granulomatosis on the basis of two cases and consider the possible role of an aerocontaminant which is usually responsible for the extrinsic allergic type of alveolitis. A detailed biochemical and cytological study of the alveolar fluid from one of these patients is presented in parallel with immunofluorescent histology and electron microscopy of the lung. The observed biochemical abnormalities in the alveolar fluid could be superimposed on those formed in certain types of hypertensive lung disease.

Phosphatidyl ethanolamine methylation in membrane from bronchoalveolar lavage mononuclear cells, in asthmatic patients: a new marker of macrophage activity.

Phosphatidyl ethanolamine methylation was compared in alveolar macrophage membrane from asthmatic and control subjects. Phosphatidyl ethanolamine methylase activity was determined by measuring the incorporation of (3H) methyl group from (3H) adenosyl methionine into membrane phospholipids. (3H) methyl group incorporation was significantly higher in macrophages from asthmatic patients.

[Indexing protein determinations in bronchoalveolar lavage fluids to a reference substance. Value of alveolar potassium].

It is well known that a reference substance is required to determine accurately the protein content of broncho alveolar lavage but there has been disagreement as to the ideal reference substance. We studied the relative usefulness and reproductibility of potassium and albumin as reference substances in determining protein content in 8 normal subjects and 10 patients with stage 11 sarcoidosis or extrinsic allergic alveolitis. Two successive lavages were performed intentionally using different volumes of injected normal saline.

Flow cytometry analysis of T lymphocytes in sarcoidosis.

To examine the immunologic alterations in patients with sarcoidosis we characterized the cell cycle phase of T lymphocytes that were collected from peripheral blood and from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. T-cell DNA and RNA contents were measured at the single cell level using flow cytometry after staining with the metachromatic fluorochrome acridine orange. T-enriched lymphocyte suspensions were obtained from peripheral blood and from bronchoalveolar lavage in 17 patients with histologically-proved sarcoidosis (10 patients, stage I and 7 patients, stage II) and in 4 patients with acute extrinsic hypersensitivity pneumonitis (AEHP).

Angiotensin converting enzyme in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Alveolar angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and serum ACE were measured simultaneously in 16 patients with histologically confirmed sarcoidosis and in 16 control subjects. Although alveolar ACE was abnormally elevated in all 15 cases of active sarcoidosis, serum ACE was not. No correlations were found between radiographic staging of pulmonary sarcoidosis and the levels of these enzymes.

[Postprandial variations in serum bile acid levels in humans free of hepatic or intestinal diseases (author's transl)].

The levels of unsulfated, free or conjugated cholic, deoxycholic and chenodeoxycholic acids were measured using gas chromatography in 39 humans free of hepatic or intestinal diseases before and 10, 60, 120 and 180 min after ingestion of a standard meal. The probable maximal levels were determined with an error risk lower than 0.05.