Clinical And Laboratory Aspects Of Plasma Proteins

It was the year of 1969 when this monograph was originally published in Japanese by Professor TADASHI KAWAI, titled as "The Plasma Proteins, Their Fundamental and Clinical Aspects." After I read through the Japanese edition, I was impressed by its rather complete coverage of the subjects and their detailed descriptions. I have felt that this excellent monograph should be distributed not only among our Japanese scien tists but also among many other colleagues throughout the world. I am happy, the refore, to know that the English edition of his monograph, partly revised, is ready to be published at this time. Professor KAWAI received his postgraduate medical training in U.S.A. for seven years, and was certified by the American Board of Pathology in both Anatomical and Clinical Pathology in Fall, 1962. Thus, I believe, he is the most suitable fellow for publishing the English edition of this kind.

Sets forth the state of the science and technology in plasma protein production With contributions from an international team of eighty leading experts and pioneers in the field, Production of Plasma Proteins for Therapeutic Use presents a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge about the function, use, and production of blood plasma proteins. In addition to details of the operational requirements for the production of plasma derivatives, the book describes the biology, development, research, manufacture, and clinical indications of essentially all plasma proteins with established clinical use or therapeutic potential. Production of Plasma Proteins for Therapeutic Use covers the key aspects of the plasma fractionation industry in five sections: Section 1: Introduction to Plasma Fractionation initially describes the history of transfusion and then covers the emergence of plasma collection and fractionation from its earliest days to the present time, with the commercial and not-for-profit sectors developing into a multi-billion dollar industry. Section 2: Plasma Proteins for Therapeutic Use contains 24 chapters dedicated to specific plasma proteins, including coagulation factors, albumin, immunoglobulin, and a comprehensive range of other plasma-derived proteins with therapeutic indications. Each chapter discusses the physiology, biochemistry, mechanism of action, and manufacture of each plasma protein including viral safety issues and clinical uses. Section 3: Pathogen Safety of Plasma Products examines issues and procedures for enhancing viral safety and reducing the risk of transmissible spongiform encephalopathy transmission. Section 4: The Pharmaceutical Environment Applied to Plasma Fractionation details the requirements and activities associated with plasma collection, quality assurance, compliance with regulatory requirements, provision of medical affairs support, and the manufacture of plasma products. Section 5: The Market for Plasma Products and the Economics of Fractionation reviews the commercial environment and economics of the plasma fractionation industry including future trends, highlighting regions such as Asia, which have the potential to exert a major influence on the plasma fractionation industry in the twenty-first century.

Blood Cells and Plasma Proteins: Their State in Nature focuses on the properties, characteristics, reactions, and transformations of blood cells and plasma proteins. The selection first takes a look at the historical prologue on the discovery of the formed and fluid parts of human blood and chemical prologue on the characterization and separation of proteins by virtue of their interactions with neutral salts. The text then takes a look at interactions of proteins with each other and with heavy metals and interactions of proteins with alkaline earths, steroids, blood cells, and polysaccharides. The book then ponders on the components of human plasma concerned with coagulation and the biochemical, physiological, and pathological aspects of the coagulation mechanism. Discussions focus on evolution of the clotting mechanism, modern concepts of clotting, state of accelerator substances, and state of calcium. The text also tackles the nature of immune processes, antibodies in human gamma globulin, and physical characteristics of the gamma globulins. The selection is a valuable reference for readers interested in blood cells and plasma protein.

Albumin is the most abundant serum protein produced by the liver. In clinical practice the serum level of albumin continues to be used as an important marker of the presence, progress or ofthe improvement of many diseases, even though it is the complex end result of synthesis, degradation a. nd distribution between intra- and extravascular space. The clinical history of albumin began as early as in 1837, when Ancell first recognized "albumen" and noted that this protein is needed for trans port functions, for maintaining fluidity of the vascular system and for the prevention of edema. However, the important physiological properties of serum proteins and their role in the regulation ofthe oncotic pressure were demonstrated later by the physiologist E. H. Starling in 1895. In 1917 the clinician A. A. Epstein first described the edema in patients with the nephro tic syndrome as being a result of a very low level of serum albumin. Al though the determination of serum albumin concentration became more popular after Howe in 1921 introduced the technique of separation of serum globulins from albumin by sodium sulfate, the first preparations of human serum albumin were made available for clinical use in only 1941 by the development of plasma fractionation by Cohn and his coworkers at Harvard Medical School.

The rapid growth of specific protein estimations in the clinical laboratory over the last 10 years has been due to advances both in methodology and in the understanding of the role of the various plasma proteins in health and disease. This expansion has been made possible by the development of both gel phase and fluid phase techniques for the estimation of proteins and the ready availability of antisera to individual plasma proteins. The specificity of the immunological reaction has allowed the more precise identification and estimation of individual plasma proteins than was possible with dye binding or other chemical techniques, but at the same time these methods have introduced other possible errors and pitfalls. Advances in understanding of the structure and function of various plasma proteins has pointed the way to new clinical applications of plasma protein estimation in the diagnosis and monitoring of disease. The Symposium, of which these are the proceedings, was planned to bring together a number of experts in the field to discuss the available methods and their clinical application.

A guide to the techniques and analysis of clinical data. Each of the seventeen sections begins with a drawing and biographical sketch of a seminal contributor to the discipline. After an introduction and historical survey of clinical methods, the next fifteen sections are organized by body system. Each contains clinical data items from the history, physical examination, and laboratory investigations that are generally included in a comprehensive patient evaluation. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR