P. O. Schiøtz

CYSTIC FIBROSIS IN DENMARK IN THE PERIOD 1945‐1981 EVALUATION OF CENTRALIZED TREATMENT

Nielsen, O. H. and Schiøtz, P. O. (Paediatric Department TG, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark). Cystic fibrosis in Denmark in the period 1945‐1981. Acta Paediatr Scand 1982; suppl 301: 107‐119. — The present study gives a re‐evaluation of the course of the prognosis for cystic fibrosis (CF) in Denmark in the period January 1, 1945 — September 15, 1981. A total of 490 patients fulfilled the criteria of entry.

IMMUNE COMPLEX MEDIATED TISSUE DAMAGE IN THE LUNGS OF CYSTIC FIBROSIS PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC PSEUDOMONAS AERUGINOSA INFECTION

Høiby, N. and Schiøtz, P.O. (Statens Seruminstitut Department of Clinical Microbiology, Rigshospitalet and the Paediatric Department TG, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark). Immune complex mediated tissue damage in the lungs of cystic fibrosis patients with chronic Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection. Acta Paediatr Scand; suppl 301: 63‐73. — Evidence has accumulated which supports the following mechanism of tissue damage in the lungs of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients during chronic P. aeruginosa lung infection:

Taxonomic Application of Crossed Immunoelectrophoresis

We used crossed immunoelectrophoresis, crossed-line immunoelectrophoresis, tandem-crossed immunoelectrophoresis, and crossed immunoelectrophoresis with an intermediate gel (containing antibodies) in studies of bacterial taxonomy. By these quantitative immunoelectrophoretic methods, as many as 90 antigens from a bacterial species can easily and reproducibly be analyzed for immunological cross-reactivity with antigens from other bacterial species without prior purification of antigens. The immunological cross-reactivity between various bacterial species is expressed as the matching coefficient (MC), i.e., the ratio between the number of cross-reactive antigens with another bacterial species and the total number of antigens of the reference bacterial species. The MC has been found to be significantly correlated with phenotypic similarities (biochemical characteristics) and nucleic acid hybridization results obtained with the taxa investigated so far. In general, closely related strains (serotypes within a species) have a high MC (≥0.90), while different species of the same genus have a lower MC (0.90 to 0.70 or lower in some cases); genera within a family have an intermediate MC (0.70 to 0.15), and distantly related taxa have a very low MC (≤0.15).

SYSTEMIC AND MUCOSAL IMMUNITY AND NON-SPECIFIC DEFENSE MECHANISMS IN CYSTIC FIBROSIS PATIENTS

ABSTRACT. Systemic and mucosal immunity and non specific defense mechanisms in cystic fibrosis patients. Acta Paediatr Scand 1982; suppl 301: 55‐62. — A review is given of the different immunological defense mechanisms in cystic fibrosis that may explain the increased susceptibility to pulmonary infections in these patients. It is concluded that no specific primary defect has been demonstrated so far.