[The status of the immunity system in diphtheria]. / Sostoianie sistemy immuniteta pri difterii.

The complex study of cell-mediated and humoral immunity characteristics, as well as nonspecific protective factors, in 30 diphtheria patients, 9 clinically healthy carriers and 54 healthy subjects was carried out. In healthy immunized subjects normal characteristics of all elements of immunity were observed in combination with high titers of antitoxins and sensitization of lymphocytes to diphtheria toxoid. In healthy carriers the presence of cell-mediated and humoral immunity to diphtheria was associated with disturbances of the metabolic activity of phagocytes and a decrease in the proliferation of lymphocytes in response to the mitogen. Diphtheria patients were found to have changes in all elements of immunity, especially pronounced in severe forms of the disease.

[Immune system in residents of territories contaminated with radionuclides after Chernobyl accident]. / Sistema immuniteta u lits, prozhivaiushchikh na territorii, zagriaznennoi radionuklidami vsledstvie avarii na Chernobyl'skoi AES.

AIM: Study of the immunity and nonspecific defense factors in subjects living at a territory contaminated with radionuclides at a density of 1-5 Ci/km2 after the Chernobyl accident. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 144 subjects aged 18 to 82 years living in the Sasovo region of the Ryazan district were examined. Three groups were distinguished with different density of contamination: 1) n = 54, 1-5 Ci/km2; 2) n = 36, conditionally pure territory; and 3) n = 54, living at the interface of the two territories. Blood analysis was carried out, nonspecific defense factors studied in the NBT test, and cellular and humoral immunity parameters investigated. RESULTS: Values of the NBT test, levels of the natural inhibitory factor and IgA, counts and functional activities of T lymphocytes and their subpopulations differed but negligibly from those in subjects living at pure territories. On the other hand, the counts of large granular lymphocytes were decreased and the incidence of autoimmune reactions to thyroid hormone antigens increased in the population exposed to low-dose ionizing radiation, which might be due to incorporation of radioactive iodine. CONCLUSION: The detected changes in the population exposed to low-dose radiation indicate that the history of exposure cannot be neglected, for such an exposure causes development of some diseases or alters their course.