[NK cells in patients during complex therapy of destructive pulmonary tuberculosis].

Functional activity of peripheral blood NK-cells was studied in 85 patients aged 18 to 72 years with active destructive tuberculosis of the lungs. There was detected a significant decrease in the activity of the NK-cells them. The most pronounced decrease was observed in the patients over 50 years. The changes in the functional activity of the NK-cells during chemotherapy correlated with the time course of the tuberculosis process. The results of the study provided the use of the NK-cell activity index in addition to the other indices in estimation of the patients immunity status and control of the treatment efficacy. For correction of immunodeficiency detected by the NK-cell activity early use of immunostimulating agents in the combined therapy of the patients with destructive tuberculosis of the lungs was required.