To test the hypothesis that the short-term (approximately 6 months) course of babies with bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) could be predicted from the clinical and radiological status on day 28 of life, we retrospectively examined the medical records of 79 infants born between 1985 and 1988 who required supplemental oxygen and/or ventilatory support on day 28. Chest roentgenographs taken close to day 28 (+/- 7 days) were scored on a scale of 0-10. Four babies died from causes not related to BPD. Four of the remaining 75 died from BPD, and the rest are alive. Forty-six of 71 were weaned from supplementary oxygen by 37 weeks corrected gestational age, and only 13/71 remained on supplemental oxygen after 40 weeks gestational age. To determine which variables contributed most to the outcome, defined as total days on supplemental oxygen, a multiple regression analysis was performed, including only those variables the tolerance of which exceeded 0.7 (sex, FiO2, ventilatory mode, and infectious status). FiO2 and ventilatory mode together predicted 15% of the variability in outcome, so that a high FiO2 and ventilator dependence on day 28 of life were highly correlated with a prolonged need for supplemental oxygen (F = 4.28, P < 0.05).

In a study of 26 cases of myeloid splenomegaly with myelofibrosis, the authors find a large incidence of immunization anomalies, principally: positive latex reaction in 8 cases; monoclonal proteins in 3 cases; anti-erythrocyte antibodies in 6 cases. Anti-muscle antibodies, quantitative changes of the immunoglobulins and the presence of cryoglobulin are also observed. In a control group of 28 patients of identical age distribution, afflicted with various types of hemopathies, immunization anomalies are encountered far more rarely. The significance of immunization anomalies in the course of myeloid splenomegaly with myelosclerosis is discussed especially in its relationship with the development of medullary fibrosis.

Phosphofructokinase (PFK) isozymes of blood cells and some human tissues were studied by starch gel electrophoresis and immunoprécipitation by anti-muscle and anti-erythrocyte PFK sera. PFK from muscle, heart, brain and placenta were totally precipitated by both antisera. PFK from blood cells (erythrocytes, lymphocytes, granulocytes, platelets) were precipitated more strongly by anti-erythrocyte PFK serum than by anti-muscle PFK serum. Liver, kidney and monoblast PFK were slightly precipitated by both antisera. From the electrophoretic patterns and the immunoprécipitation curves we may conclude that muscle contains the homotetrameric M(4) forms; platelet, liver and kidney the homotetrameric E(4) form, and blood cells the M-E hybrids. Monoblasts probably contain a E(4) type PFK precursor, and heart, placenta and brain, a modified M(4) type PFK. Other isozymes, unrelated with muscle and erythrocyte, were revealed in liver and kidney.

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