[The local immunity status of patients with chronic dust-induced bronchitis]

The ratio of cells in the bronchoalveolar washing was studied as was the functional state of phagocytizing cells, with assessment thereof having been done in the pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis in those workers exposed to quartz-containing dust. The conducted studies showed the endopulmonary cytogram to be characterized by a high degree alveolar neutrophilia (28.2 +/- 1.3) in chronic bronchitis. Disturbances in local immunity were also evidenced by the dysfunction of alveolar macrophages (decline in adhesiveness and absorptivity against the background of apparent activation of intracellular oxygen-dependent metabolism), and by the decrease of the level of secretory immunoglobuline A.