[N-Acetylcysteine: low and high doses in the treatment of chronic obstructive lung diseases in Chernobyl accident liquidators]. / N-Atsetiltsistein: malye i bol'shie dozy pri lechenii khronicheskikh obstruktivnykh boleznei legkikh u likvidatorov Chernobyl'skoi avarii.

AIM: To study clinical effectiveness and antioxidant activity of N-acetylcisteine (NAC) in daily doses 600, 1200, 1800 and 2400 mg in Chernobyl wreckers suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Cough intensity and expectoration, malonic dialdehyde (MD), plasma calcium ions concentrations were studied in patients taking NAC. RESULTS: Cough intensity diminished insignificantly. Expectoration improved significantly only after intake of 1200 mg/day NAC. In higher doses expectoration difficulties appeared again. Five patients received a maintenance dose 200 mg/day as a result of which their expectoration improved. MDA in the above patients was 3.3 times higher than normal level, free calcium ion concentration was 1.7 times higher. Only 1200 mg/day dose of NAC brought MDA level to normal, higher doses made it subnormal. Calcium ions concentration decreased but insignificantly. Maintenance dose 200 mg/day returned MDA and calcium to initial level. CONCLUSION: For patients with radiation-induced affection of the respiratory tracts NAC dose 1200 mg/day is optimal both clinically and in terms of antioxidant activity.