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The distribution of ABO blood in two groups of people with Australia antigen was studied (121 blood donors and 128 patients) and in 3,091 controls was investigated. There was a significant excess of A in comparison with o when the two groups were combined, and when the two groups were tested for (A + B): (AB +O) individually and together, both were found to be statistically significant. The results are discussed.

On a sample of N equals 169 nonrelated blood donors from Libya several blood group, serum protein group and enzyme frequencies are within the range of those of other Caucasoid populations. However, the frequencies of cDe, Jk-a, Fy-c, Hp-1, Gc-1, aP-b and AK-1 show some greater differences and seem to indicate certain Negroid influence on the genetic composition of our Libyan sample. This assumption is conceivable considering the racial history of Libya.

Es wird uber die Haufigkeit der Serumgruppen in Sudwestdeutschland berichtet. Die Haptoglobingruppen fanden sich unter 1856 Personen zu: Hp 1−1=15,4%, Hp 2−1=47,7%, Hp 2−2=36,9%; Hp1=.3928, Hp2=.6072. Die Haufigkeit der Gc-Gruppen betragt: (n=747): Gc 1−1=60,5%, Gc 2−1=34,5%, Gc 2−2=5,0%; Gc1=.7778, Gc2=.2222. Die Gm-Gruppen fanden sich bei 965 Personen zu: Gm (a+ x+)=26,5%, Gm (a+ x−) =29,2%, Gm (a−x−)=44,3%; Gma=.191, Gmax=.143, Gmb=.666. Wahrend sich in der Frequenz der Hp-Gene keine signifikanten Unterschiede zu verschiedenen europaischen Vergleichspopulationen ergaben, fanden sich solche hinsichtlich der Frequenz der Gc-Gene und besonders der Gm-Gene. Es wird kurz darauf hingewiesen, das die Hp-Gene innerhalb Europas annahernd gleichmasig verteilt zu sein scheinen, wahrend die Verteilung der Gc-Gene und vor allem der Gm-Gene grosere Inhomogenitaten erkennen last. Diese sind jedoch durch weitere Untersuchungen im einzelnen noch zu uberprufen und abzusichern, ehe eine Interpretation moglich ist.

Australia antigen typings on leprosy and control samples from West Bengal (India) and Angola (Africa) showed a considerably higher incidence of this antigen in lepromatous lepers as compared with other types of this disease resp. controls. By this the findings of Blumberg et al. (1967) in the Philippines could be confirmed. The possible reasons for this observations are discussed.

A case is reported in which a 36-year-old patient twice suffered a rapidly-developing severe reaction to intermittent rifampicin therapy. The symptoms were upper abdominal and back pain, nausea and shivering. Acute renal failure, thrombocytopenia, jaundice and haemolytic anaemia also developed. Aetiologically this was due to an immunopathological effect. This case was unusual in that all the previously observed reactions to rifampicin of an immunological aetiology occurred together, resulting in a marked leucocytosis with the presence of immature cells. It appears that the immediate administration of high-dose corticosteroids can favourably influence this condition. We consider that despite its greater risks daily treatment with rifampicin is to be preferred to discontinuous therapy because of its better tuberculostatic effect.

With agar gel diffusion, 0.42% of 9,230 blood donors had Australia antigen, and none had antibodies. With counterelectrophoresis on another series, 0.21% of 10,061 donors had antigen, and 0.30% had antibodies. There was no evidence for a decreased incidence of hepatitis in the population after it had ceased to receive antigen-or antibody-positive blood. Results of the study of pregnant mothers and their neonates, hepatitis patients, and members of a haemodialysis unit are presented and discussed.

Tests for interaction between AB0 and Hp were performed in 1824 mother-child pairs. There was no significant difference in the Hp distribution between mothers and children. When the children were divided into AB0-compatible and AB0-incompatible with their mothers there was an excess of the Hp1 gene in the incompatible group. The results are discussed.

The risk of transmitting infectious agents through homologous blood transfusions can't be completely eliminated. According to our present knowledge, the posttransfusion-hepatitis (PTH) type B has been overestimated till the end of the seventies. Concerning PTH type Non A Non B special serological diagnostic techniques are missing, but nevertheless, there are indications as well that the frequency of this transfusion side-effect is overrated. The occurrence of HIV-transmission through blood-transfusions is right now considered to be 1:10(6) to 1: (3 X 10(6)). Because of continuous improvement of the analysing methods, these results seem to be reasonable and are similar to those we found. To determine the influence of transfusions on the defense mechanism of tumor-patients further investigations are necessary, because the immunosuppressive effect of the individual blood components has to be rated differently.

In der Bundesrepublik Deutschland rechnet man pro Jahr mit 12000 bis 40000 Hepatitis-B-Neuerkrankungen [9]. Fur das medizinische Personal ist die Hepatitis B die haufigste Ursache einer infektiosen Berufserkrankung.

HBSAg was demonstrated radioimmunologically in cerebrospinal fluid in 7 out of 11 seropositive children with acute viral hepatitis B (1/2), fulminant viral hepatitis (0/1), chronic active hepatitis (2/4), chronic persistent hepatitis (1/1), cirrhosis (1/1), and asymptomatic carrier status (2/2). Counterelectrophoresis and complement fixation test lacked the necessary sensitivity to detect the antigen even in patients with high serum concentrations. The pass over of the cerebrospinal barrier appears to be dependent of the serum titer. Some neurologic symptoms in the early stage of acute viral hepatitis are probably connected with the appearance of HBSAg in cerebrospinal fluid. It is however unlikely that central-nervous-system dysfunctions observed in association with fulminant viral hepatitis and coma result from a direct effect of HBSAg or hepatitis B-virus. In chronic carriers the cerebrospinal fluid probably contains the antigen more frequent. The cerebrospinal fluid of HBSAg-positive patients has to be regarded as an infectious agent.

An enzyme-immunoassay (EIA) for antibodies to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) was developed. The new test uses undiluted samples, incubated directly into an HBcAg coated well. Three alternative test procedures are possible. The stability of reagents was studied and a preclinical evaluation was performed intramurally. An assay correlation study was organised. We report the results of the external evaluation performed at 4 centres. A mean analytical sensitivity of 1.1, 1.2 and 0.36 PEI units/ml anti-HBc was found for procedure I (1 h/1 h/30 min), procedure II (30 min/30 min/30 min) and procedure III (16–20 h/l h/30 min), respectively. In total, 5288 determinations on serum or plasma from various patients and healthy individuals were performed: 10% with procedure I, 52% with procedure II and 38% with procedure III. The qualitative (positive or negative) results were compared with those found with tests used routinely at the centres - 47% with Corzyme (Abbott) and 53% with Corab (Abbott) — in a first screening. A final evaluation was made taking into account the repeatability of the results. Based on all results together, the agreement between the new EIA for anti-HBc and the routine tests was 97.6% at the first screening and increased to 99.0% after further evaluation.

HLA-typing was performed in 103 patients with moderate or severe bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. Statistical analysis showed an association between HLA antigen B18 and Bw16 and the hearing deficit. A highly significant association was found between HLA antigen Bw16 and a hereditary bilateral moderate or severe sensorineural hearing loss.

Die problemlose Indikationsstellung zur Transfusion aus der Anfangsara - man transfundierte Vollblut, wenn Blutverluste auftraten oder wenn es galt, durch Transfusion den Allgemeinzustand beim anamischen oder kachektischen Karzinompatienten zu verbessern -, diese Zeit ist vorbei. Im Laufe einiger Jahrzehnte ist es gelungen, Blut in seine Bestandteile zu zerlegen und mit einzelnen Blutbestandteilen gezielt und gegebenenfalls konzentriert zu therapieren. Diese Moglichkeiten sollten aber nicht dazu verleiten, generell Blut in seine Bestandteile zu zerlegen, um es dann, wo es in seiner Gesamtzusammensetzung benotigt wird, kosten- und zeitaufwendig wieder zusammenzufugen.