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Clerical mortality rates in the United Presbyterian Church in the United States of America and the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod have been studied in relation to selected social characteristics.Overall mortality rates in the two study groups are more favourable than those for both the general US male population and for the total US white clergy. For most specific causes, the rates for the Presbyterian group are slightly less favourable than for the Lutherans but a high degree of similarity exists.Possible explanations for these findings are discussed.

The report describes the clinical syndroms of a 14-year-old boy which suffered from recurrent infections since early infancy. The clinical and general laboratory findings were similar to "the granulomatous disease of childhood" as described by Bridges et al. (8). The following serum factors were determined: Immunoglobulins, complement factors, isoagglutinins. The following assays with normal or patient's granulocytes were done: Chemotactic activity, nitroblue-tetrazolium test, bactericidal assay, fungicidal assay, myeloperoxidase, monocytes fungicidal assay. Immunological studies include kinetics of phytohaemagglutinin response, effect of serum of the patient on lymphocytic reactivity in vitro and skin tests. The following results were obtained: 1) Assays with normal or patient's granulocytes showed an impaired chemotatic activity, when serum of the patient was added. There was strong indication by treatment of the patient with plasma infusions, that the chemotactic defect is a serum dependent factor. 2) It could be demonstrated that the patient's serum also inhibited the response of lymphocytes to tuberculin and phytohaemagglutinin. Therefore the patient report focuses attention upon the possibility of serum related abnormalities that may influence granulocytic as well as lymphocytic functions leading to recurrent bacterial, fungal and viral infections.

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