[The immune system indices of hypertension patients exposed to ionizing radiation]

We studied immunologic status in patients with stage II hypertensive disease (HD): there were 92 Kievans and 46 subjects living in the area with excessive radiation within a 30-km radius of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant; control group comprised 20 apparently healthy men (donors of the city station of blood transfusion). In HD patients the T-lymphocyte count was found to be reduced as was the content of T-suppressors and T-helpers, the activity of the B-immune system tending to be on the increase. Suppression of the T-lymphocyte suppressive function and elevation of the immunoglobulin G content result in an accelerated formation of circulating immune complexes, this indicating evolution of disturbances in immune complexes and an influence being exerted on the development of vascular affections and progression of atherosclerosis being promoted in these patients. Changes in the immune system tended to be more pronounced in st. II HB patients residing in the area with abnormal radiation than they were in the same category of patients--inhabitants of Kiev--this being supposedly a reason for disease progression in them.