[Prospects of etiological diagnosis of bronchitis]

Serum antibodies to soft tissue elements, levels of elastase, trypsin, trypsin inhibitor, alpha(2)-macroglobulin were measured to make a differential diagnosis of dust with nonoccupational bronchitis. For dust and nondust bronchitis titers of antibodies to collagen and elastin were different, serum enzymatic activity changed as a result of reduced concentration of trypsin and high elastase in dust bronchitis patients. Using the above results facilitates etiological diagnosis of bronchitis in workers exposed to dust by immunological methods as well as expertise of occupational bronchopulmonary pathology.