[Plasma levels of cytokines in patients with active infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis].

The levels of interferon-y (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor-gamma (TNF-alpha), and interleukin-8 (IL-8) and their changes during chemotherapy and laser chemotherapy were studied in 97 patients with active infiltrative pulmonary tuberculosis, by taking into account Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MBT) sensitivity to chemical agents. The studies have indicated that the levels of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, and IL-8 are increased and may be markers of an active process. Chemotherapy causes a reduction in increased cytokinemia. Complex laser chemotherapy affects the cytokine profile in active tuberculosis caused by not only drug-sensitive, but also drug-resistant MBT.