[The count of large granular lymphocytes in the blood and natural killing in tuberculosis]

Blood content of large granular lymphocytes (LGL) and natural killing were studied in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and in the time course of experimental tuberculosis in CBA mice. Evolution of tuberculosis was found to be accompanied by lowering of blood concentration of LGL and a tendency toward enhancing the natural killing more pronounced in severe course of the illness presenting with T-cellular immunologic deficiency, lowered tuberculin sensitivity of T-lymphocytes and high titres of antituberculous antibodies. The revealed changes are of compensatory character.