[Rapid immunoenzyme diagnosis of influenza in patients with various allergoses and bronchial asthma]

In an investigation carried out in the allergological clinic of the Tbilisi State Medical Institute in the period between two outbreaks of influenza, the presence of influenza antigen was determined in nasal washings taken from 127 patients with different allergoses and bronchial asthma by means of the enzyme immuno-assay with the use of the type-specific virion antigen of M1-protein. This method was found to be highly sensitive and to have some advantages over traditional methods used for the diagnosis of influenza. In patients with preasthma and different forms of bronchial asthma elevated susceptibility to influenza infection and its unfavorable influence on the clinical course of these pathological conditions were established.