[Evaluation of the functional activity of alveolar macrophages based on the results of a study of blood cells].

NBT test basal values and those after cell stimulation with killed BCG culture were measured by spectrophotometry in alveolar macrophages isolated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, in peripheral blood neutrophils and monocytes of 49 patients with newly detected pulmonary tuberculosis. Stimulation coefficient was estimated as the ratio of induced to spontaneous NBT-test values. The findings evidence that spontaneous NBT-test values are regularly growing in all three cell types, and the stimulation coefficients lowers as the process grows in severity at the expense of pulmonary tissue disintegration and bronchial obstruction; these parameters adequately reflect the status of the body specific reactivity. Significant correlations were revealed between spontaneous NBT-test parameters in all 3 cell types and their stimulation coefficients. This permits a conclusion that spontaneous and induced NBT-test of the peripheral blood cells may help assess alveolar macrophage function.