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The severity, duration, and reversibility of pentamidine induced bronchial narrowing was studied with and without pretreatment with nebulised terbutaline 10 mg in an open study of 40 patients seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). All subjects received pentamidine 300 mg in 5 ml water via an Acorn System 22 jet nebuliser. The forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) fell in all 20 patients given pentamidine alone, the mean maximum fall being 20.6%. In the 20 patients given pentamidine preceded by nebulised terbutaline the mean maximum fall in FEV1 was 4%; three subjects had a fall in FEV1 of more than 10%.

A 74 year old woman presented with a two month history of recurrent small hemoptyses and died after a subsequent massive haemoptysis. At postmortem examination the source of bleeding was found to be a leaking saccular, atheromatous abdominal aortic aneurysm, which had ruptured through the diaphragm into the lower lobe of the right lung.

Corticosteroids caused a reduction in the ratio of sol-phase sputum concentration to serum concentration of albumin in 12 patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis, suggesting a reduction in protein transudation. Alpha-1-antitrypsin values followed the same pattern as those of albumin in both the control and treatment periods, confirming the similar behaviour of the two proteins. The alpha 1-antichymotrypsin ratios were on average three times higher than those of albumin in the control period, confirming the presence of local mechanisms in the lung for preferentially concentrating this protein. The sputum-to-serum ratio of alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, however, rose during steroid treatment with the result that there was a selective increase in this protease inhibitor, which may be of potential benefit to such patients.

Measurement of serum theophylline concentration is usually recommended before intravenous aminophylline is given to patients taking oral theophylline. Fifty patients with worsening airflow obstruction, all of whom were taking oral theophyllines and who had no contraindication to the use of parenteral aminophylline, were randomly allocated into two groups before treatment was given. The dose of aminophylline was calculated without (group A) and with (group B) knowledge of admission serum theophylline concentration. In group A a regimen incorporating corrections to account for factors affecting theophylline clearance was used in an attempt to represent a "knowledgeable" approach; in group B a formula incorporating the known serum theophylline concentration at the time of admission was used. All loading doses were given over 30 minutes as "mini infusions." The two groups were well matched for age, blood gas tensions, and severity of airflow obstruction. The results for four patients (one from group A and three from group B) were excluded from analysis after completion of the study. In each group the mean admission serum theophylline concentration measured (group A: 8.4 (SD 6.0)mg/l; group B: 7.2 (5.7)mg/l) and the aminophylline doses used (group A: loading bolus 172 (45.5)mg, infusion 815 (198)mg; group B: loading bolus 233(189)mg, infusion 788(214)mg) were similar. Mean serum theophylline concentrations during 24 hours' aminophylline treatment, number of patients with a serum theophylline concentration greater than 20 mg/l, symptoms of toxicity, and outcome were also similar in the two groups. Although satisfactory use of parenteral aminophylline was achieved for most patients without knowledge of serum theophylline concentration at the time of admission to hospital (with the aid of a "knowledgeable" clinical approach and constant infusion pumps), prompt measurement of serum theophylline concentration at the time of admission identified patients with either suboptimal or potentially hazardous theophylline concentrations.

A woman with asthma developed chronic necrotising semi-invasive pneumonia due to mixed Aspergillus niger and Candida albicans infection; though not severely immunosuppressed, she may have been predisposed by long term oral corticosteroid and recurrent oral antibiotic treatment. The diagnosis should be considered in patients with chronic airflow limitation who develop cavitating pneumonia.

The protein content of tracheal secretions and of bronchial lavage and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid was compared with that of sputum in 33 patients who underwent fibreoptic bronchoscopy. The secretion-to-serum concentration ratios for albumin, alpha 1-antitrypsin, alpha 1-antichymotrypsin, and immunoglobulin A (IgA) fell progressively as samples were obtained from further down the bronchial tree, probably reflecting greater sample dilution. The secretion-to-serum protein ratios when standardised for the corresponding albumin ratio were similar in all secretions studied. In particular, the IgA ratios were about eight times those of albumin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin ratios were about twice those of albumin, suggesting similar degrees of "local production" of these proteins in all secretions studied. Some patients showed considerable differences in IgA ratios between sputum and bronchial lavage fluid. The significance of these differences is not clear.

The effect of adding slow release nifedipine to oral theophylline has been studied in eight patients with stable but symptomatic asthma, a double blind placebo controlled crossover protocol being used. No change in asthma control occurred during the nifedipine treatment period as assessed by serial peak flow measurements and symptom scores. Serum theophylline concentrations were significantly lower after nifedipine than after placebo (6.8 v 9.7 micrograms/ml) and in three patients were well below the therapeutic range (less than 4 micrograms/ml).

A case of primary B cell lymphoma of the trachea is reported. It is suggested that it is an example of a tumour of mucosa associated lymphoid tissue, or "maltoma."

The constituents of the secretory immunoglobulin A system (dimeric IgA, total secretory component and free secretory component) were measured in sputum sol phase, tracheal aspirates, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluids from 15 patients undergoing fibreoptic bronchoscopy. All of the proteins showed a progressive decrease in concentration from sputum to the bronchoalveolar lavage fluids (2p less than 0.001). Standardisation of samples by means of protein concentration ratios showed that all secretions were generally similar in respect of their secretory IgA profiles, although major differences remained in some individual patients. The between patient variability of the results was generally reduced by the use of protein concentration ratios, allowing closer comparison between subjects. When the secretion albumin concentration was used as a standard, however, it increased the variability of the sputum sol phase IgA components (2p less than 0.01), whereas it decreased the variability of the IgA components in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (2p less than 0.05). The role of albumin as a standard protein for assessing the secretory IgA system in lung secretions remains uncertain.

A woman developed alveolitis which appeared to be caused by sulphamethoxypyridazine and which resolved after withdrawal of the drug and six months' treatment with prednisolone.

A patient who has expectorated bronchial casts for 23 years is reported. The casts contained mucus, fibrin, and lymphocytes, and the resected middle lobe showed dilated lymphatics with thickened walls at the hilum and lymphoid aggregates in the terminal bronchioles.