[Microbial associations in chronic respiratory tract diseases].

In the peripheral blood of patients with chronic bronchitis the presence of Mycobacterium pneumoniae antigens has been registered in 20.0% of cases and the presence of group A Streptococcus haemolyticus antigens, in 24.0% of cases, the transformation of streptococci into the L-form being observed in 12.0% of cases. The presence of M. pneumoniae, streptococci and their L-forms, as well as associations of these microorganisms, is characteristic of patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis, which is, probably, one of the reasons for the maintenance of bronchial obstruction. In patients with chronic pneumonia and fibrosing alveolitis the antigens of the bacterial form of streptococcus and its L-forms have been detected only in a few cases.