BACTERICIDAL ACTIVITY OF LEUKOCYTES IN PULMONARY TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS

Bactericidal activity of leukocytes was investigated in 63 patients with new infiltrate pulmonary tuberculosis and 28 patients with fibrous cavernous pulmonary tuberculosis. The diverse oxygen-dependent bactericidal activity of phagocytes is typical of the patients suffering from both clinical forms of tuberculosis: reduction of nitrosative stress rates, which is more frequent in those suffering from fibrous cavernous tuberculosis, and increase of oxidative stress rates, which is more intensive in case of fibrous cavernous tuberculosis. The associated functions were detected among immune-competent cells, involved in the bactericidal function: in case of fibrous cavernous tuberculosis – between oxidative stress rates, and in case of infiltrate pulmonary tuberculosis – between nitrosative stress rates; the synergistic effect of respiratory burst was observed. In case of chronic pulmonary tuberculosis, both types of cells were equally responsible for bactericidal functions, while neutrophils were dominating in new infiltrate pulmonary tuberculosis, without prior treatment, being the cells of the first line of defense. The obtained results allowed concluding that in case of new pulmonary tuberculosis without prior treatment, nitrosative stress played the important role in the killing of tuberculous mycobacteria, while in case of chronic tuberculosis – it was oxidative stress.