[Role ofneuroautoimmune integration in pathogenesis of vibration disease].

Clinical immunologic and electroneuromyographic examination covered patients with vibration disease. Registered- demyelination disorders on lower and upper limbs in vibration disease patients were associated with neurochemical changes in special neural structures (OBM, S-100 protein, DNA, AH-R, DA-R, Ser-R, GAMK-R). Direct proof of demyelination disorders in vibration disease patients are reliable correlation between levels of antibodies to OBM and conduction velocity in distal part of median nerve, in ulnar nerve from elbow bend and lower third of arm, and ulnar residual latency. Diagnosed relations between levels of antibodies to regulatory proteins in nervous tissue (antibodies to OBM and to S-100 protein), neurotransmitters (antibodies to AH-R, DA-R, Ser-R, GAMK-R) and functional parameters of nervous system prove important role of autoimmune reactions in vibration disease pathogenesis.

[The pre-nosologic diagnostic of vibration disease.]

The vibration disease occupies one of leading places among occupational diseases. To decrease vibration pathology and to diminish number of cases of disability an early pre-clinical detection of harmful effect of vibration on organism of worker is needed. The purpose of study is to develop mode of diagnostic of early indications of health disorders of working individuals under local vibration impact. The immune enzyme technique was applied to immunologically examine 40 males workers in contact with local vibration. In workers with pre-clinical indications of health disorders due to effect of vibration alterations were established concerning content of immunoglobulins and cytokines characterized by lowering of concentrations of IgA, IgM, TNFα and also increasing of production of pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß and anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-4. The increasing of serum concentrations of neuro-specific protein S-100ß is established. The proposed mode permits detecting early indications of health disorders in workers contacting with local vibration in condition of applying minimal number of the most informative diagnostic indices that promotes decreasing of volume of clinical analyses.

[The Impact of Industrial Vibration on Level of Antibodies to Regulatory Proteins of Nervous Tissue.]

The characteristic peculiarities in changing the levels of autoantibodies (AB) to the regulatory proteins of the nervous tissue have been revealed in the workers with a long-term working period and in the patients with Vibration-induced disease (VID). The levels of AB to MPM, Ser-R and ß2GP were higher than the border of physiological level and the levels of AB to proteins GFAP and S-100 were lower than a physiological level in the workers with a long-term working period and in the patients with VID. Thereto, the higher levels of AB to GAMK-R were revealed in the patients with VID 2 times as often and 4 times as often compared with the workers with a long-term working period. The changes in the content of AB to the regulatory proteins of the nervous tissue may, most probably, testify the sano- and pathogenesis changes in the functions of the immune system. The changes in the content of AB in the workers with a long-term working period without signs of health disorders due to exposure to vibration have allowed to state the starting changes and the already manifested pathological processes of a definite localization in the nervous tissue stipulated with a long-term exposure to vibration in the patients with VID.

[Neuroimmune endocrine relationships under exposure to local vibration in workers].

The studies prove that local vibration in workers alters parameters of immune, nervous, endocrine systems interconnected and demonstrating pathologic process degree. Findings are that workers with long length of service, having no health disorders, increased CNTF level is associated with high TSH, increased IgG level is connected with ACTH growth. In vibration disease, increase of neurospecific protein S-100ß is associatedwith lower level of T4. Increase of anti-inflammatory IL-4 is accompanied by high level of T3--that can prove disbalance in main regulatory systems (immune, nervous, endocrine).

[The role of neurotrophic factors in formation of vibration disease].

The authors studied serum levels of neurotrophic factors (brain-derived neurotrophic factor BDNF and ciliary neurotrophic factor CNTF) in workers exposed to vibration (workers with long length of service and without health disorders caused by vibration, patients with occupational limbs polyneuropathy, and vibration disease patients). Findings are that occupational vibration induces increased BDNF and CNTF serum levels in all groups examined. Increased levels of neurotrophic factors at early stages of pathologic process indicate their protective action, action of compensatory protective mechanisms. However, high levels of BDNF and CNTF in vibration disease may point to neurodestructive processes in nervous system.

[Immunological responsiveness of mercury-exposed workers].

Immunological responsiveness was studied in 133 workers who were in contact with mercury and in 20 patients with chronic mercury intoxication. Changes were revealed in the cellular, humoral, and phagocytic links of immunity in healthy workers. The development of occupational neurointoxication was shown to be accompanied by the increased count of lymphocytes expressing the markers of late (CD95+ and HLA-DR+) and early (CD25+) activation in the presence of significant immunosuppression. The findings suggest that impaired immunoregulation plays an important role in the development of chronic mercury intoxication.