[Functional status of alveolar macrophages in different forms of chronic bronchitis during treatment]

A study was made of the level, viability and functional activity of alveolar macrophages (AM) in lavage of 86 patients with chronic bronchitis (26 with nonobstructive and 60 with obstructive bronchitis). A decrease in AM viability by 11-25%, phagocytic activity 1.6-4.6-fold, the NBT-test 1.5-3.4-fold and an increase in acid phosphatase activity more than 2-fold were revealed. The degree of a decrease in AM activity depended on the presence of bronchial tree obstruction and the purulent nature of inflammation. Treatment (a total of 33 patients were examined) resulted in an increase in AM content and viability however AM functional properties did not return to normal completely, the rate of positive shifts in activity indices did not correlate with clinical manifestations. An analysis of the dependence of AM functional activity on the type of drug therapy showed that tetracycline inhibited AM functional activity, ampicillin made a favorable effect on the restoration of AM function and beclomet stimulated significantly AM activity.