[The clinico-pathogenetic importance of evaluating monocyte phagocytic activity in viral hepatitis in children]

The phagocytic activity of blood monocytes in healthy donors and in children having virus hepatitis was studied. The cytological analysis of preparations made it possible to identify several variants of phagocytosis. Monocytes in children having the moderate form of acute virus hepatitis at the primary stage of the disease proved to be most active. The phagocytic activity of monocytes was low in chronic virus hepatitis. The treatment of children having acute virus hepatitis B with recombinant alfa-2 interferon restored the capacity of monocytes to phagocytose zymosan, which preceded the clinical manifestations of remission.