[The stimulation of superoxide formation by human neutrophils under the action of blood serum from echinococcosis patients].

The effect of blood serum of patients with liver echinococcosis on the superoxide production by neutrophils of donors was studied. The patients observed were distributed to 2 groups: 1) those with uncomplicated disease and 2) those with festered cyst. Blood serum of patients with echinococcosis was proved to stimulate superoxide production by donor neutrophils by 107-483% in comparison with donor's serum. The serum from patients with festered cyst was shown to have no pronounced effect on superoxide production but a day after echinococcectomy the maximal stimulation was observed, which was 12.03 +/- 0.96 nM/superoxide per 10(6) cells (donor serum 2.49 nM per 10(6) cells). It might be caused by stress effect of the operation. In this group of patients the stimulating effect was gradually decreasing after the operation reaching the control level. In patients with uncomplicated echinococcosis, the stimulation of superoxide production was most profound in the preoperational period (6.70 +/- 0.65 nM per 10(6) cells), and after the operation the stimulating effect gradually disappeared. It is supposed that the phenomenon described is caused by specific antigens which are produced by the helminth.