[A new method of B-cell rosette-forming reaction].

To increase the effectiveness of diagnosing tuberculosis, a new procedure of defining B-rosette forming lymphocytes is proposed. A commercially available product, i.e. dry erythrocytic tuberculous phosphatidic diagnosticum produced by the Leningrad Vaccine and Serum Research Institute and meant for serologic examinations and antiphosphatidic antibody detection, was used in the above reaction for the first time. The following groups were selected for the examination: 51 patients with female genital, locomotor and ocular tuberculosis; 33 persons with nonspecific diseases of the same sites; and 19 donors. A significant drop in the absolute percentage of B-rosette forming lymphocytes (EAC-RFC-ph) in patients with active tuberculosis of all sites was found out. High diagnostic informativeness of the procedure is demonstrated. There was an inverse correlation between the level of antiphosphatidic antibodies and the content of B-rosette forming lymphocytes in tuberculosis patients and the examined controls.