[Short- and long-term benefits of smoking cessation].

The beneficial effects of withdrawal smoking on the disrupted physiological functions bound to tobacco spread differently: some weeks for smell, taste and breathing, to the less six months to recover tolerance to the effort without dyspnea. For the cardiac attack the risk bound to tobacco disappears after five years, and the risk for cancers after ten years. The expectation of life of the ex-smoker joined the one of non-smokers 15 years after the stop of smoking.

Erythrocyte hyperaggregation and thrombogenic dysfibrinogenemia.

Erythrocyte aggregation was measured in 12 patients with congenital dysfibrinogenemia. The results showed hyperaggregation in four patients who had presented a thrombotic disorder, while aggregation was entirely normal in patients with asymptomatic dysfibrinogenemia. None of the four symptomatic patients had any other anomaly of hemostasis, in particular no coagulation inhibitor deficit or anti-phospholipid antibodies.

[Influence of protein S deficiency on the arterial thrombosis risk].

Protein S is the cofactor of activated protein C which, together with the antithrombin system, is a major regulator of coagulation. Congenital protein S deficiency is an important risk factor for venous thrombosis. In this study of 105 patients with protein S deficiency, 64 had one of several thromboembolic accidents, including 14 arterial thrombotic accidents involving the central nervous system or the myocardium.

Difference in activity properties and subcellular distribution of neutrophil alkaline phosphatase between normal individuals and patients with trisomy 21.

Biochemical, cytochemical characteristics and electron microscopy subcellular distribution of neutrophil alkaline phosphatase (NAP) were analysed in blood and/or smear samples from 39 trisomy 21 patients (Down's syndrome) aged 11.5-18 years (mean 15.5 years) and 55 normal subjects aged 12-20.