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The screening of zoster's antibodies has been performed in blood donors population and persons convalescing from herpes zoster. The results show that 25% of blood donors and 83,5% of convalescents have respectively a titer of CF antibody of 8. Plasma units were pooled and the pool had a final titer of CF antibody of 16. Varicella zoster immunoglobulin prepared by alcohol fractionation had a fluorescent antibody titer of 1 024 and a CF antibody of 512. These results are discussed and compared with those of literature.

The best conditions for performing a lymphocyte transformation test have been studied in the red fox with three phytomitogens: phytohaemagglutinin, concanavalin A and Pokeweed (phytolacca). These assays were carried out with varying different parameters of the reaction, among which concentration of mitogens, nature and duration of the lymphocyte cultures. Isolation of fox lymphocytes gave lower yields than human lymphocytes, but were similar in number to those from other domestic animal species. The best mitogenetic reactivity was observed with concanavalin A (optimal concentration being not very different from one mitogen to another) and the maximum transformation ratio was usually observed after four days of lymphocyte cultivation in round bottom plates. Mean value of stimulation ratio is about ten times less that in man, but not very different from dogs. These results allowed the use of this technique a second time to explore specific stimulations by rabies antigen. These last were observed only in 33% of foxes recently vaccinated against rabies, either with live or inactivated virus vaccine.

49 french haemophiliacs (haemophilia A: 41 patients; haemophilia B: 8 patients) were serologicaly tested for LAV antibodies: 10 patients (20.4%) were seropositive including 9 (21.9%) with haemophilia A and 1 (12,5%) with haemophilia B. Between seronegative and seropositive patients total lymphocyte and T-lymphocyte sub-populations counts were not significantly different. The mean serum IgG level was higher and palpable lymphadenopathy more frequently encountered among seropositive patients.

Blood lymphocyte proliferative responses to mitogens were studied in 65 patients with haemophilia (haemophilia A: 54 patients, haemophilia B: 11 patients) in parallel with 39 male control subjects. As a group, patients with haemophilia did not demonstrate abnormal proliferative responses to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA), Concanavalin A (ConA) and pokeweed mitogen (PWM) when compared with healthy controls. When the patients were analysed according to their seropositivity for antibody to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), those who were positive had significantly decreased PHA, ConA and PWM responses. Haemophiliac patients with T4+/T8+ ratios less than 1 had reduced proliferative responses to PHA, ConA and PWM when compared to patients with ratios greater than 1. No significant difference in mitogen responses were found when the patients were analysed according to the presence or absence of palpable lymphadenopathy. Those patients with haemophilia A who had received more than 5 x 10(4) units of factor VIII during the two years preceding the study showed no significant difference in PHA, ConA and PWM responses when compared to patients receiving less.

Thirty-four members of a single family were studied and 9 of them were found to be suffering from hyperthyroidism associated with diffuse goitre. Exophthalmos was absent and transmission seemed to be independent of HLA type. Four of the 9 were studied prior to treatment but in all cases serum immunoglobulin levels were normal, antithyroglobulin and antimicrosomal antibodies absent, thyroid stimulating antibodies negative and the lymphocyte transformation responses to mitogens not different from those of controls. The results of testing the euthyroid family members were similarly negative, except in the case of a woman with type I diabetes mellitus who showed a low titre of antimicrosomal antibody. Seven of the patients underwent subtotal thyroidectomy. Lymphocytic infiltration of the excised portion was rarely present. Four of the glands were subjected to immunofluorescent and electron microscopy but neither immunosecreting cells nor immune complex deposits were found. These results point to the existence of a non-autoimmune form of goitrous hyperthyroidism, different from Graves' disease.

The incidence of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection among 107 low birth weight transfused infants (birth weight less than or equal to 1,500 g) admitted to an intensive care nursery over an 18 month period was evaluated. The diagnosis of CMV infection was based on specific serologic tests (presence of IgM, increased IgG by ELISA technic) and identification of the virus in the urine. During the first 8 months, the infants received untested blood and CMV disease occurred in 8 infants out of 44 (18.2%). During the following 10 months, all transfusions performed in 63 infants were supposed to be CMV negative. However, 32 infants received untested blood due to emergency, and 5 of them developed a CMV infection (15.6%). Finally, only 31 infants received CMV negative blood without any case of CMV infection. These data clearly demonstrate that, considering the severity of the CMV disease in the premature infants, transfusions should be performed with CMV negative blood products.