[Membrane phosphatidylethanolamine methylase in blood leukocytes and alveolar macrophages of asthmatic patients].

Phosphatidyl ethanolamine methylase (PEMT) is an enzyme involved in the methylation of membrane phospholipids which plays a very important role in the modulation of the activity of the beta-receptors and the production of phosphatidylcholine, substrate of phospholipase A2. This report describes a study of PEMT on the membranes of blood leucocytes and alveolar macrophages obtained by bronchoalveolar washings in different types of asthma: allergic, intrinsic and occupational. This was accompanied by parallel study of respiratory function tests and the level of bronchial reactivity to carbachol in asthma sufferers as well as other alveolar biological parameters: phospholipid fractions of surfactant, angiotensin conversion enzyme and protein/albumin ratio.

The use of jet-injectors in BCG vaccination.

In mass vaccination programmes, the jet-injection of vaccine may have considerable operational advantages over the classical techniques. The technical performance of two models of jet-injector, the Dermo-Jet and the Ped-O-Jet, in BCG vaccination was assessed in a number of studies which are reviewed by the authors. It is shown that the jet-injectors do not administer the full dose for which they are calibrated and that the size of the vaccination lesion varies more than after vaccination by syringe.