[Study of acid lability of DNA in patients with leptospirosis]

Measurements of DNA and study of chromatin status in blood cell nuclei help solve numerous basic problems of biology and medicine. Acid lability of DNA was assessed in 5 patients with grave icterohemorrhagic leptospirosis. The distribution of fluorescence peaks on the curve of neutrophil DNA hydrolysis in patients with grave leptospirosis indicates that functionally low-active acid-resistant DNA fraction predominates in their chromatin. Assessment of acid lability of DNA is proposed to be used for assessing the severity of the pathological process.