(1975). Thorax, 30,[72][73][74][75][76][77][78][79]. Soluble proteins of bronchopulmonary secretions from patients with cystic fibrosis, asthma, and bronchitis. The concentrations of nine plasma proteins were determined by quantitative immunoelectrophoresis in sputum specimens from 29 patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and from 24 patients with severe asthma and chronic bronchitis. The results suggested that the population of CF patients could be divided into two groups in spite of an absence of difference in clinical status between the groups. Average concentrations of seven plasma proteins in sputum of group I CF patients were identical with those in sputum of patients with bronchitis, but the average concentrations of six of these proteins in sputum from group II CF patients were higher than those in specimens from the bronchitic patients and were similar to corresponding concentrations in sputum from patients with asthma, all of whom were examined while in status asthmaticus. The average concentrations of 14 secretory proteins were the same in all sputum specimens whether or not they were produced by patients with cystic fibrosis, asthma or bronchitis.

SYNOPSIS An analysis of the plasma proteins in the sol phase of sputum was carried out using quantitative cross immunoelectrophoresis. The average concentrations of nine plasma proteins were estimated in the sol phase of sputum specimens from 30 patients with chronic bronchitis and the values were compared with the concentrations of these proteins in saliva and serum specimens from the same group of patients.The results showed that alpha1 antichymotrypsin and IgA concentrations were higher in the sol phase of sputum than would be expected if their presence were due entirely to passive transudation.

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Royal InfirmarySixty-four patients with various chest diseases were divided on clinical grounds into those suffering from asthma, chronic bronchitis, and chronic bronchitis with heart failure and those with damage to the lung parenchyma. A 24-hour specimen of sputum was collected from each patient and the electrolyte, protein, and carbohydrate composition was determined on the sol phase which was separated by ultracentrifugation. High variance was encountered in all the results and no difference in average pH and ionic concentration was found between the four groups. The average sol phase carbohydrate concentration and the average proportion of albumin in the sol phase high-molecular-weight substances differed between the groups and appeared to be related to the diagnosis of asthma and bronchitis. We think that the proportion of albumin in sputum sol phase high-molecular-weight substances might hold promise as a criterion for distinguishing between asthma and chronic bronchitis.

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