Serum protein paper electrophoresis in cystic fibrosis correlated with bacteriological lung findings.

Serum proteins have been studied by means of paper electrophoresis in 88 
patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), and correlated with bacteriological lung findings. 
An increase of all serum globulin fractions in CF patients was 
found, whereas albumin and albumin/globulin ratio were decreased. The changes in 
all serum protein fractions were significantly greater in patients with constant 
Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in the lungs than in patients without this 
constant infection (p < 0.005), whereas patients with intermittent pseudomonas infection 
did not have more severe changes than patients without pseudomonas infection. 
The changes in gamma-globulin and total globulin were significantly greater in 
patients with frequent Staphylococcus aureus infections than in patients with rare 
Staphylococcus aureus infections (p < 0.005 and p < 0.05, respectively). 
As regards the other serum protein fractions, no significant differences between 
patients with frequent and rare staphylococcus infections were found. Judged by 
simple scoring systems, the lung disease of patients with constant pseudomonas 
infection was significantly more progressed clinically and radiologically than that of 
patients without constant pseudomonas infection (p < 0.00005), whereas no significant 
differences were found between the other patient groups. 