[Interferon therapy of acute pneumonia in infants]

The effect of leukinferon on the system of phagocytes in infants with acute pneumonia was studied. There was observed an inhibition of the functional activity of neutrophils and monocytes in the blood of the infants. The inhibition level depended on the severity of the disease and the baseline immunological status of the infants. Normalization of the functional activity of the peripheral blood phagocytes led to more rapid discontinuation of the inflammatory process in the lungs. Leukinferon is a modulator of the phagocyte system and its action on the monocytes and neutrophil granulocytes was the higher, the lower was the initial functional activity of the phagocytes in the sick infants. The use of leukinferon in the complex therapy of the infants with acute pneumonia resulted in their more rapid recovery.