[Immunopathology and morphology of chronic inflammation]

Biopsies from 40 patients with chronic trophic ulcers of lower limbs or osteomyelitis were investigated. Combination of immunopathological processes in the form of immune deficiency, unbalance of T-lymphocyte subpopulations and immunoglobulins, increased levels of circulating immunocomplexes and T-active lymphocytes, high functional T-lymphocyte activity. Moreover, there is a decrease of both chemotaxis and spontaneous motility of neutrophil leukocytes and phagocytosis. The disturbance of cellular and humoral immunologic reactions and nonspecific resistance correlates with morphological features of ulcers: suppression of collagenogenesis, productive vasculitis, obliteration and reduction of vessels, plasmatization of granulation tissue. The causes and mechanisms of the changes observed resulting in the chronic inflammation which takes the form of vitium cordis are discussed.