[Nervous system pathology and disruption of immunoreactivity in firefighters]

Fifty-eight firemen with encephalopathy were followed up. The development of nervous diseases was shown to be attended by immune homeostatic disorders, a characterizing decrease in the count of T lymphocytes bearing the markers CD4+, CD8+, a disproportion of immune-regulating subpopulations, a reduction in phagocytic neutrophils and their functional activity. There was an increase in IgA. Concurrently, there was an enhancement in the production of cytokines: IL-2, IL-6, IL-1 beta, TNF alpha.