[SPECIFIC IMMUNE RESPONSE AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS OF NEUTROPHIL GRANULOCYTES IN PULMONARY AND EXTRAPULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS].

An immune response and protective factors of neutrophil granulocytes were comparatively studied in 61 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, 70 with nephrotuberculosis, and 45 with tuberculous spondylitis. It was shown that there were elevated serum levels of neutrophil cationic proteins in both pulmonary and extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Lower content of intracellular cationic proteins along with suppressed cellular immunity was observed in pulmonary tuberculosis patients with disseminated actively progressive changes. This combination may be regarded as a poor predictor. Higher values of a specific cellular immune response and elevated levels of intracellular cationic proteins of neutrophils were found in extrapulmonary tuberculosis. This was also seen in patients with severe clinical manifestations of the disease. Thus, there is reason to believe that there is a regulatory association of the protective factors of neutrophil granulocytes with cellular immunity in tuberculosis.