[Solidscreen II Enzyme: a complete test method using Solidscreen II].

An extended application of the solid-phase antiglobulin test Solidscreen II consists in the use of enzyme-treated test cells. Beside the increased sensitivity in the detection of weak Rh antibodies, 'real enzyme-reactive antibodies' can be detected. A total of 818 serum samples and 404 EDTA plasma samples were tested for red cell antibodies.

[Solid phase techniques in blood group serology].

As alternatives to hemagglutination, solid-phase red blood cell adherence assays are of increasing importance. The adaptation of the new techniques to microplates offers several advantages over hemagglutination. Using microplates the assays may be processed semiautomatically, and the results can be read spectrophotometrically and interpreted by a personal computer.

[Kinetic measurement of GPT with the microtiter plate].

Experiences with a kinetic method for measurement of SGPT in microtiter plate using an automatic sample processing device and Medusa software (Biotest) were evaluated. The correlation coefficient in parallel assessment of samples in a clinical routine laboratory was found to be 0.935 (p < 0.

Solid-phase antiglobulin test for screening and identification of red cell antibodies.

A newly developed automatically readable solid-phase antiglobulin test is described. The solid-phase test in comparison with conventional antiglobulin techniques for screening and identification of red cell antibodies showed agreement in 2346 (98.7%) of samples tested.

Mouse monoclonal antibodies reacting with M blood group-related antigens.

Four mouse monoclonal antibodies were produced with specificities related to human blood group M antigen. The antibodies react in direct hemagglutination systems, and their specificities were investigated by their reactions with variant and enzyme-modified red cells. The effects of temperature and pH on their hemagglutination reactions also were investigated, and all four were murine IgG antibodies.

Reactivity of monoclonal antibodies directed against blood group antigens M and N.

In order to get more standardized reagents for blood group typing and to get more information on the chemical nature of blood group antigens we have immunized Balb/c mice with whole red blood cells and with sialoglycoprotein fraction from group OMMss cells. As fusion partners mouse myeloma cell lines P3-NS1/1-Ag 4-1 and X63-Ag8.653 were used.

Synthesis of orally active cardiosteroid derivatives.

Starting from hellebrigenin, orally cardiotonic active acylcardiosteroid derivatives have been synthesized. D 12316 (acrihellin), the hellebrigenin-3 beta-dimethylacrylate, has been chosen for clinical evaluation.

Hepatitis B vaccine: safety study in anti-HBs seronegative human volunteers.

A hepatitis B vaccine which has been prepared from HBsAg and HBeAg positive human plasma and which consists of purified HBsAg in an alum suspension was investigated for safety and immunogenicity in a clinical trial. Twenty-three anti-HBs seronegative volunteers received three injections each of 40 micrograms HBsAg intramuscularly. No rise in serum transaminase activities occurred during the follow-up period, and none of the volunteers developed clinical signs related to viral hepatitis.

Hepatitis B vaccine: safety study in anti-HBs seropositive human volunteers.

HBsAg, which has been purified from HBsAg and HBeAg positive plasma, was repeatedly applied to human volunteers, who were seropositive for anti-HBs. The intramuscular or subcutaneous injections caused a clear booster effect on anti-HBs concentrations in serum. The injections were well tolerated.

[Securing the ABO-identity by serafol before blood transfusions (author's transl)].

With the Serafol bedside card the ABO identity can be checked before transfusion in a very quick and simple way. The new bedside card is made from polyester film with a special surface coating indifferent to sera, which absorbs the anti sera to well when it begins to dry, that it contains no intermediatory labile additives. The antisera are applied in four circular areas which are spatially separated from each other and dyed in order to avoid additional labelling mistakes.

[Destroying of antigenicity and influencing the immunochemical reactivity of hepatitis B virus antigens (HBsAg, HBcAg and HBeAg) through disinfectants--a proposed method for testing (author's transl)].

So far, hepatitis B virus cannot be grown in tissue cultures. Consequently, the inactivating effect of disinfectants upon the infectivity of hepatitis B virus could only be insufficiently investigated. Investigations using the only suitable test animal, the chimpanzee, are associated with substantial efforts and high cost and are also limited in their extent.

[Standardization of hepatitis B immunoglobulins (author's transl)].

Titer determinations of hepatitis B immunoglobulins, as performed for example with radioimmunoassays or with haemagglutination tests, always show wide deviations; if a reference preparation, on which the test results can be based, is not run simultaneously with the test, the results are not comparable. A simple and easily reproducible radioimmunological method is described: the regression line is calculated for the titer series of a reference preparation, whose end titer is established; the anti-HBs content of the preparations under test can then be compared.

A clinical study of the tolerance and safety of a beta-propiolactone-treated immunoglobulin.

In an open clinical study, 31 healthy volunteers were each given three i.v. infusions of 50 ml of a immunoglobulin preparation (Intraglobin) from three different production batches.

[Serologic hepatitis B markers in porphyria cutanea tarda (author's transl)].

Using several seromarkers for hepatitis B virus the frequency of previous hepatitis B in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) as a possible manifestation factor was determined. As chronic hepatitis is frequently associated with an increase of factor VIII-associated antigen, this was included in the investigation. Results make it likely that 28 out of 60 investigated patients (47%) have had hepatitis.

[Occurrence of HBs-antigen and anti-HBs in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (author's transl)].

Serum 63 patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) was examined for the presence of HBs-antigen and anti-HBs by the CombRIA-Au method. HBs-antigen was not detected in any of the examined blood samples. In contrast to these findings in 12 of the 63 PCT-patients (= 28 per cent), anti HBs was detected in the serum.