[Generation of platelet activating factor by neutrophils in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis]

PAF levels in native blood neutrophils before and after 1-hour incubation with killed BCG culture and in relevant incubation medium were measured in 44 patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis according to rabbit platelet aggregation. A control group consisted of 12 healthy volunteers. Neutrophil PAF concentrations in the patients were 6 times higher than those in the controls and caused a rise in plasma PAF levels. Intracellular PAF content was related to the process characteristics (new-onset tuberculosis, exacerbation, recurrence), intoxication, hemogram shifts and immune status of the patient. In vitro experiments showed that in response to a specific phagocytosis object, generation of PAF in neutrophils and its release into the intercellular space depend on initial PAF levels in native cells. In normal and moderately elevated PAF in native neutrophils contact with killed BCG culture entailed its intracellular content increase, while in initially high intracellular PAF additional stimulation induced primarily its release.