[Characteristics of viral infections in patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis].

Virological and immunological studies on 53 patients with chronic obstructive bronchitis at the clinical stage of fading exacerbation were conducted. A high percentage of active viral infection (43%), persistence of viruses (25%) and virus-specific components (ribonucleoprotein in influenza) in the cells of brush biopsy bronchial mucosa specimens was characteristic for these patients. The respiratory-syncytial virus was the most common persisting virus (11%). A high percentage of association (72%) of respiratory viruses (influenza, adenoviruses) and pneumonia Mycoplasma contributed to an increase in a period of an infective process. The utmost decrease in indices of cellular immunity (natural killer cell activity, T-cell and phagocytosis function) was detected in a group of patients with a prolonged (over 4 months) virus persistence.