IMPAIRED SPLENIC RETICULOENDOTHELIAL FUNCTION IN CHILDREN WITH CANCER

Consequences of impaired splenic function.

Impaired splenic function in systemic amyloidosis.

In four cases of biopsy proven amyloidosis there was evidence of impaired splenic function. All had absent or grossly reduced splenic uptake on colloid isotope scans and three had haematological changes consistent with hyposplenism. Poor splenic function with a normal sized or enlarged spleen may be a clue to underlying amyloid.

Reticuloendothelial function in pregnancy.

Several clinical observations suggest that pregnancy alters reticuloendothelial (RES) function. Pregnant women are more susceptible to paralytic poliomyelitis'," and influenza,' and there is a direct relationship of multiparity to bacteruria.' Pregnancy also appears to be the state most likely to prepare a human being for a generalized Shwartzman reaction. Measurements of RES function in pregna...

Development of impaired splenic function in intestinal lymphangiectasia.

We describe a patient with intestinal lymphangiectasia who developed hyposplenism and speculate that it resulted from chronic loss of lymphocytes into the gut.

Function of the Reticuloendothelial System

Reticuloendothelial clearance of carbon particles is inhibited by injection of heat-aggregated albumin. The possibility that this inhibition might involve a serum component has been explored. Evidence that such a serum factor does participate in carbon clearance inhibition by heat-aggregated albumin derives from the fact that prior treatment of the carbon with homologous serum eliminates the bl...