Effect of anticoagulants on the measurement of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A)

Summary. The level of pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) in blood measured by rocket immunoelectrophoresis is affected by the addition of anticoagulants. When compared with levels in serum, those in heparin and sequestrene plasmas were higher, while those in sodium citrate, acid citrate dextrose and fluoride oxalate plasmas were lower. Similar results were obtained when the anticoagulants were added to serum and the effect on the measured level was dose-dependent within limits. Addition of anticoagulants to serum affected the mobility of PAPP-A in crossed immunoelectrophoresis, but this was not necessarily in keeping with the effect on rocket height. Addition of sodium chloride to serum did not influence the measured levels of PAPP-A.     

Immunolocalisation of NHE3-like immunoreactivity in the gills of the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and the blue-throated wrasse (Pseudolabrus tetrious)

Na⁺/H⁺ exchange has been implicated in models of ion transport across the branchial epithelium of marine and freshwater fishes. In this preliminary study, we present immunohistochemical data using a polyclonal antibody raised against NHE3 which show NHE3-like immunoreactivity (IR) in the gills from a freshwater and a marine teleost species. In both species, branchial epithelial cells demonstrating NHE3-like IR were localised predominantly to the junction between the filament and the secondary lamellae. However, there was a marked difference in the morphology of the NHE3-like immunoreactive epithelial cells between the species. This morphological difference between the species suggests functional differences in the exchanger, which may be related to marine versus freshwater environments.     

The spectral analysis of cough sounds in childhood respiratory illness

Cough is the commonest symptom of childhood respiratory disease and at times may be the predominant feature. The characteristic sound of the cough is often considered by the clinician as a useful diagnostic feature in such conditions as croup and whooping cough. This has prompted a closer study of the physical basis of the cough sounds and their relationship to the pathological processes in the airway.¹ Keleman et al. ² have demonstrated that there are at least three phases to any particular cough, that is, an initial burst due to air turbulence and tissue vibration, followed by a noisy phase, and the final vocalic burst as the glottis forcefully cuts off the air flow. These studies have led to the development of computer assisted methods of evaluation of cough.³ In turn, sound spectral analysis techniques, which have been used extensively to study lung sounds in asthma,⁴ have been applied to cough sounds.^5,6 A microcomputer-based system which allows rapid performance of such analyses has been devised and described recently.⁶     

Cough Sound Analysis: A New Tool for the Diagnosis of Asthma?

A method of computerized cough sound analysis is described.The sounds of nocturnal and post-exercise coughs from a childwith asthma were compared with those from a child without asthma.The spectrographic patterns of voluntary cough at rest fromthe two children were similar. The pattern seen after exercisefrom the asthmatic child was different from the resting coughbut similar to that seen during recorded nocturnal cough. Incontrast the post-exercise cough from the non-asthmatic childwas similar to the cough seen at rest. Refinement of this methodof cough sound analysis may be useful in the diagnosis of asthmain young children.