ABSTRACT
Although cystic fibrosis of the pancreas (CF) has been well recognized by internists, pediatricians, and geneticists for more than 60 years, it remains a profound biomedical mystery. Cystic fibrosis is characterized by the triad of chronic pulmonary disease, pancreatic insufficiency, and elevated sweat electrolytes. Cystic fibrosis is found worldwide but is distinctly uncommon in the Oriental and black populations. In the last decade Bowman and her colleagues at the University of Texas in Galveston have developed another test system for the biologic assay of a factor named cystic fibrosis factor (CFF). Later studies in which the cells from patients with cystic fibrosis were cultured in vitro indicated that the factor was bound to immunoglobulin and, that in reality, the factor was a small molecular weight protein of about 10,000 daltons. The role of this factor in cystic fibrosis can be expected to be rapidly clarified.
