[60]fullerene is a powerful antioxidant in vivo with no acute or subacute toxicity.

In the present work, we report the effects of C(60)-pretreatments on acute carbon tetrachloride intoxication in rats, a classical model for studying free-radical-mediated liver injury. Our results show that aqueous C(60) suspensions prepared without using any polar organic solvent not only have no acute or subacute toxicity in rodents but they also protect their livers in a dose-dependent manner against free-radical damage. To be sure, according to histopathological examinations and biological tests, pristine C(60) can be considered as a powerful liver-protective agent.

[Prescription of bone remodeling markers in hospitals].

Biochemical markers of bone turnover have for several years been considered as valuable parameters in research clinical studies, but their use in individual patients is still debated. Recently several position papers have proposed guidelines for their use in clinical practice in patients with post menopausal osteoporosis. In the present article, we report the results of a survey which aims at comparing the actual modalities of prescription of French physicians with the above-mentioned recommendations.

[Biochemical markers of bone remodeling: pre-analytical variations and guidelines for their use. SFBC (Société Française de Biologie Clinique) Work Group. Biochemical markers of bone remodeling].

Biochemical markers of bone turnover have been developed over the past 20 years that are more specific for bone tissue than conventional ones such as total alkaline phosphatase and urinary hydroxyproline. They have been widely used in clinical research and in clinical trials of new therapies as secondary end points of treatment efficacy. Most of the interest has been devoted to their use in postmenopausal osteoporosis, a condition characterized by subtle modifications of bone metabolism that cannot be detected readily by conventional markers of bone turnover.

[Tamm-Horsfall protein].

Human Tamm-Horsfall glycoprotein, the major urinary protein, is a glycosyl-phosphatidyl-inositol (GPI) - anchored membrane protein which mainly resides at the luminal face of cells of the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop (TAL) and early distal convoluted tubules of nephron. Tamm-Horsfall protein contains exclusively N-linked glycans, mainly of polyantennary type largely sialylated and fucosylated, but also high-mannose glycans. Only a portion of the Tamm-Horsfall protein is released as soluble protein by the action of proteases and in a minor amount by a cell-associated GPI-specific phospholipase.

Quantitative analysis of C60 fullerene in blood and tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode-array and mass spectrometric detection.

A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) assay method for C60 fullerene, in blood, liver and spleen using photodiode-array detection or mass spectrometric detection (LC-MS) and C70 fullerene, as the internal standard, is described. The recovery from mouse blood and tissues spiked with micronized C60 exceeds 90%. The method is linear from 0.

[Improvements from the reference material CRM 470 in the standardization of the determination of serum proteins].

The introduction of the CRM 470 in 1993 (certified reference material for 14 serum proteins) and its utilization by industrial companies for cross-calibrating their commercial standards has been an important break-through in protein standardization. This improvement has been clearly illustrated by the last national quality control survey performed in France in may 1995. At this time, about 60% of the 1,870 participants have already adopted the new standardization.

Evaluation of human IgG subclass assays on Beckman array.

Automated immunonephelometric assays were developed to measure human IgG subclasses in serum, on the Beckman Array Protein System (APSR), with sheep antihuman IgG subclass antisera. The interassay imprecision was judged to be satisfactory in each case (CV: IgG1: 2.3%; IgG2: 2.

Comparison of six serum ferritin immunoassays and isoferritin spectrotypes in malignancies.

Serum ferritin was measured by six enzyme immunoassays in specimens from patients with digestive cancers (n = 30) and hematologic malignancies (n = 33). Most mean comparisons show significant differences in both groups of patients. In digestive cancers correlations between any two methods are very satisfactory (r > 0.

[Serum levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, transferrin and haptoglobin. III. Results obtained with monoclonal immunoglobulins].

This study is the third part of a multicenter evaluation carried out with ten analysers. Five proteins (IgG, IgA, IgM, transferrin, haptoglobin) were assayed in three sera, each containing one monoclonal Ig (IgG, IgA, or IgM). The expected agreement was not obtained with these particular sera, except in the case of haptoglobin.

[Serum levels of IgG, IgA, IgM, transferrin and haptoglobin. II. Analytical precision and comparison of results from different analysers].

We compare the precision of immunochemical techniques for determining immunoglobulin G (IgG), immunoglobulin A (IgA), immunoglobulin M (IgM), transferrin and haptoglobin. Precision was found satisfactory. Results of samples containing monoclonal Ig, showed substantial discrepancies, especially the serum containing monoclonal IgM.

[Serum determination of IgG, IgA, IgM, transferrin and haptoglobin. I. Attempt at normalization of results].

This study demonstrates the advantages and limitations of normalizing results for five serum proteins (IgG, IgA, IgM, transferrin and haptoglobin), analysed in liquid phase on ten different systems (open clinical chemistry and dedicated protein analysers). Seven sets of results from normal and pathological sera (without monoclonal proteins) were compared using: - calibrators supplied by each manufacturer; - - serial dilutions of a single stabilized pool of liquid serum. In addition to validating the quality of the stabilised serum, we have been able to identify: - significant variations in results using different analytical systems for the same sample; - a major reduction in these variations, often greater than 50%, through normalization using a common serum pool.

[Multicenter study of commercial kits for the determination of human IgG subclasses, using the ELISA technique].

We evaluated two commercially available sandwich type Elisa procedures for the measurement of IgG subclasses in human serum. Assay kits from The Binding Site and the Central Laboratory of the Netherlands Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service were tested in six laboratories. The performance of spectrophotometers, pipettes and dilutors were assessed at each center.

[Erythrocyte ferritin].

Red cell ferritin is a residue of erythroblast ferritin. It reflects the balance between the iron supply to the erythroid marrow and the need for haemoglobin synthesis. Erythrocyte ferritin can be measured in haemolysates after discarding plasma and leucocytes by different methods.

Study of six antisera used for the immunonephelometric assay of human IgG.

The composition and performance of six commercial antisera for the immunonephelometric assay of IgG were studied. The analysis of the protein content of these reagents revealed significant differences in composition: the total protein contents ranged from 41 to over 130 g/l and gamma-globulins were twice to thirteen times higher than in a normal serum of the species. The antibodies found in these reagents were mostly IgG, with traces of IgM, and no IgA.

[Hemodialysis and ferritinemia].

Iron-deficiency is a common phenomenon in chronic renal diseases and haemodialysis patients, a treatment with iron or transfusions is always provided in an early preventive way; yet, an overload may appear. Serum ferritin, in spite of analytic variability, remains at the present time a good witness to appreciate patients' iron stores. Authors report the results obtained with four commercial reagents in healthy population and in haemodialysed children or adults.

Enzyme immunoassay of serum erythropoietin in healthy children: reference values.

A solid phase enzyme immunoassay for erythropoietin which required only a small specimen of blood was evaluated. It permitted measurement up to 150 IU/L. Recovery was between 86.

Usefulness of a prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index in pediatric clinical practice.

The clinical usefulness of a prognostic inflammatory and nutritional index (PINI) was evaluated in 47 hospitalized infants and 72 age-matched controls from 1 mth to 14 yr of age. The PINI formula is a combination of two markers each of infection (C-reactive protein and orosomucoid) and of malnutrition (albumin and transthyretin). Healthy children are identified by a PINI value less than 1 whereas sick patients are characterized by a progressive rise above 1 as the conditions worsens.

Automated determination of urinary Na+, K+, chloride, inorganic phosphate, urea, and creatinine without sample dilution, with the "RA-XT".

We describe how concentrations of chloride, urea, inorganic phosphate, and creatinine in urine can be measured directly, without manual sample dilution, in a discrete analyzer (the Technicon "RA-XT"). These methods were accurate for concentrations of chloride up to 280 mmol/L, urea up to 500 mmol/L, inorganic phosphate up to 50 mmol/L, and creatinine up to 30 mmol/L. CVs are less than 3% nd results correlate well with those obtained by continuous-flow analysis (SMA-II).

[Reference values of erythrocyte ferritin in children and adults].

The erythrocyte ferritin content was measured in 183 healthy subjects in age from 4 to 68 years; 80 were male and 103 were female. In children between the ages of 4 and 12 years there is no significant difference in the mean value between boys and girls. In females the erythrocyte ferritin concentration is independent of age.

[The coefficient of saturation of iron in transferrin].

Theoretical iron fixation capacity of transferrin (FCT) can be calculated on its immunochemical titration: (FCT (mumol/l = transferrin (g/l) x 25). Today, its reckoning is more advisable to serum total iron binding capacity measurement. The authors studied the effects of this new proceeding upon usual values interval of transferrin saturation (i.