[Morphofunctional characteristics of the APUD-cell and lymphocyte reactions in the lungs of children with acute pneumonia].

The lungs of 40 children who had died at the age of 1 month to 3 years were studied using special immunohistochemical and morphometric methods. Destructive lung processes were registered more frequently in children below one year of age with acute pneumonia having a similar viral-bacterial etiology. The content of apud-cells with an argyrophilic reaction, amine-containing APUD-cells and lymphocytes with cyclic nucleotides was significantly decreased and indices of the lymphocyte functional activity lowered comparing to the older age group. An essential role of the physiological immaturity of the biogenic amine synthesis by apud-cells is attributed in the acute pneumonia pathogenesis in children of early age. This aggravates immune deficiency and the development of the destructive forms of inflammation.