[Immunity in cystic fibrosis. A comparative study of chronic bronchorrhea of different etiology]

Various aspects of immunity in cystic fibrosis were studied in 24 children and compared with the results in 13 children with other types of chronic bronchial infection. The complement was not significantly altered: number of lymphocytes, delayed hypersensitivity skin reactions, number of T (an B) cells, phytohaemagglutinin lymphocyte stimulation were virtually normal. Only the phagocytic activities (chemotaxis, phagocytosis, bacteridal activity) were altered in 20 out of 24 patients with cystic fibrosis and in a comparable percentage of patients with other types of chronic bronchial infection. No serum inhibitory factor was found and leukocyte enzyme activities were normal. This deficiency of phagocytic functions seems to be, at least in part, secondary to infection.