[Circulating immune complex and complement (C3) in a course of pulmonary tuberculosis]

The aim of the current study was to investigate plasma levels of Erythrocyte-Antibody (EA) and Erythrocyte-Antibody-Complement (EAC) circulating immune complexes (CIC) and C3 component of complement in 150 healthy volunteers and 29 patients with active tuberculosis before the treatment and 27 persons with inactive tuberculosis persons with pulmonary tuberculosis. The study showed the occurrence both of types CIC was higher in all groups of patients in comparison with the control (p < 0.001), while there was no significant differences in the patient's groups. The occurrence of CIC EA and EAC in tested groups was significantly greater than in the control (p < 0.001). The analysis of frequency of positive results obtained by RI EA test was showed an approximate percentage in the groups of patients both before antituberculous therapy and after two months treatment and was not significantly lower in inactive TB. The appearance of CIC EAC after two months treatment were significantly greater than in group with active TB (p < 0.01). In inactive TB, the higher occurrence of CIC were obtained by RI EAC test comparing with RI EA method (p < 0.01). On the contrary, in the patients with active TB the greater percentage was revealed using RI EA test (p < 0.05). In this group the examination of concentration of C3 was found higher mean (p < 0.05), whereas the values in patients with inactive TB were in the normal range. In patients after short therapy the level of C3 were decreased significant, when compared with control and other studied groups. The obtained results suggest that in all groups of patients occurrence inhibitor factor of rosettes EA and EAC; the CIC EA, EAC and C3 variability before and after short therapy can be results from the disease and/or application of medicines; the participation of CIC in the inactive stage of TB maybe suggest partially extinguished mycobacterial process.