[Proliferative response and suppressor activity of lymphocytes in candidiasis]. / Proliferativnyi otvet i supressornaia aktivnost' limfotsitov pri kandidoze.

In 14 practically healthy donors, 22 patients with chronic candidiasis of the skin and mucosa (CCSM) and 14 patients with chronic candidal vulvovaginitis (CCW) immunoregulating factors synthesized by peripheral blood lymphocytes under the conditions of in vitro induction of suppressor cells were studied in comparison with the proliferative response to PHA and Candida albicans cytoplasmic protein. In practically healthy donors the level of lymphocyte response to mitogen coincided with the presence of the inhibiting activity of supernatants. In a more severe form of Candida infection (CCSM) the proliferative reaction of lymphocytes to both PHA and C.albicans antigen was weakened or even inhibited. The level of the proliferative response of lymphocytes was inversely proportional to the immunoregulating activity of cells, nonstimulated and stimulated with ConA and C.albicans cytoplasmic protein. In CCW lymphocytes exhibited good proliferative response to T-mitogen, occurring in combination with weak reaction, or no reaction at all, to C.albicans antigen. A decrease in the level of spontaneous blast transformation was accompanied by an increase in spontaneous suppressor activity.

[The phagocytic activity of the neutrophilic granulocytes in patients with chronic candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes]. / Fagotsitarnaia aktivnost' neitrofil'nykh granulotsitov u bol'nykh khronicheskim kandidozom kozhi i slizistykh obolochek.

24 patients with chronic candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes have been examined. The following parameters have been evaluated: (1) ingestive capacity, (2) fungicidal capacity, (3) the state of the myeloperoxidase mechanism of respiratory explosion. In chronic candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes the ingestive capacity of neutrophil granulocytes has been found to remain unchanged, constituting 70 +/- 3.5% in healthy persons and 60 +/- 4.2% in patients 60 minutes after interaction. The study has revealed the decrease of fungicidal activity in 50% of the patients which is probably linked with the constant activation of oxygen-dependent killing mechanisms (the index of the spontaneous nitro blue tetrazolium test has proved to be 8.9 +/- 0.8% in healthy persons and 15 +/- 3.4% in patients with candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes) and the decreased reserve of the functional activity of neutrophil granulocytes. The activity of myeloperoxidase in patients with candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes has been found to remain unchanged.

[Modifications to the surface of T-lymphocytes in chronic candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes]. / Modifikatsii poverkhnosti T-limfotsitov pri khronicheskom kandidoze kozhi i slizistykh obolochek.

27 patients with chronic candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes have been examined with a view to study the expression of E-receptors and its changes after the incubation of T-lymphocytes with theophylline, levamisole, thymaline and Candida albicans antigen. This study has revealed that, in comparison with healthy persons, most patients show decreased expression of E-receptors, and the character of their changes after incubation with the above-mentioned preparations is essentially different. The deviations revealed in this study have been regarded as the modification of T-cell membranes, which is seemingly one of the reasons of the weak competence of T-cells. In its turn, the expression of E-receptors may be considered as an indicator of the influence of different factors on T-lymphocytes. Substances altering the level of cyclic nucleotides in the cell, the antigenic fractions of the fungal causative agent, the suppression or blocking the action of thymic hormone-like substances may serve as such factors.

[Diagnosis of allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis]. / Diagnostika allergicheskogo bronkholegochnogo aspergilleza.

Five patients (4 men and 1 woman) afflicted with bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) were examined. The main criteria for the diagnosis were a high level of the total IgE, demonstration of specific IgE to Aspergillus fumigatus, positive skin tests with antigens of moldy fungi. All the 4 patients with active process, not given corticosteroids, manifested eosinophilia of the sputum and peripheral blood. The clinical picture of bronchial asthma was recorded in 2 patients. It is desirable that all the patients with protracted and relapsing infiltrative processes in the lungs running with sputum and blood eosinophilia undergo examinations for the presence of ABPA.

[Functional status of the endocrine and immune systems in women with chronic candidiasis of external genital organs]. / Funktsii éndokrinnoi i immunnoi sistem pri khronicheskom kandidoze naruzhnykh genitalii u zhenshchin.

Sixty three patients with chronic candidiasis of external genitalia (CCEG) were studied. There was no evidence of hypoparathyroidism or adrenal failure in females with CCEG. The possible role of documented hypothyroidism or diabetes mellitus in these patients' condition should be considered. Though the impairment of the B-or T-immune systems failed to be revealed in the aforementioned patients, some of them demonstrated autoimmune processes in some endocrine glands without any significant impairment of their functional performance.

[Functional characteristics of the endocrine and immune systems in patients with visceral candidiasis]. / Nekotorye funktsional'nye kharakteristiki éndokrinnoi i immunnoi sistem u bol'nykh vistseral'nym kandidozom.

A study was made of pituitary, thyroid, parathyroid, endocrine pancreatic, adrenocortical and immune system functions in 56 patients afflicted with visceral candidiasis. The clinical and laboratory data obtained point to the presence in some patients with visceral candidiasis of parathyroid, thyroid, pancreatic and adrenocortical dysfunctions, attesting to their importance in the disease pathogenesis. The role of immune disorders, particularly that of the T component of the immunity system is found to be of paramount importance as well in the pathogenesis of candidiasis. Correction of endocrine disorders coupled with antimycotic therapy brought about a more rapid and steadier therapeutic effect.

[Immune system function in candidiasis patients]. / Sostoianie immunnoi sistemy u bol'nykh kandidiozom.

To compare the clinical picture and the immunological characteristics, 58 candidiasis patients differing by the severity and dissemination of the disease were examined. Chronic candidiasis of the skin and mucous membranes, the most severe and disseminated form of the disease, is associated with a decrease in the number of T-lymphocytes and changes in their subpopulations, as well as high titers of Candida albicans antigen and antibodies to it in blood sera. The immune system of patients with visceral candidiasis and chronic vulvovaginal candidiasis was similar to that of healthy persons in the characteristics under study. Immediate and mixed hypersensitivity occurred in candidiasis patients more frequently than in healthy persons. In extremely severe forms of Candida infection immediate hypersensitivity prevailed.

[Effect of antigen dose on the course of experimental mycogenic sensitization]. / Vliianie dozy antigena na techenie éksperimental'noi mikogennoi sensibilizatsii.

Guinea pigs were sensitized with different doses of homogenous Candida albicans cells introduced by 3 subcutaneous injections at intervals of 2--3 days. The allergic rearrangement in the animal body thus induced was found to depend on the dose of the preparation injected into the animals: the lowest dose of the antigen (0.1 mg) induced immediate allergic reaction, and doses 5--10 times higher induced double rearrangement i.e. immediate and delayed reactions.

[Use of the basophil degranulation test and the leukocyte migration inhibition test to characterize mycogenic sensitization]. / Ispol'zovanie testa degranuliatsii bazofilov i reaktsii ingibitsii migratsii leikotsitov dlia kharakteristiki mikogennoi sensibilizatsii.

The results of experiments in using the basophil degranulation test and the leukocyte migration inhibition test for the characterization of mycogenous sensitization are presented. The model of mycogenous sensitization was created in guinea pigs by 3 injections of homogenized Candida albicans cells. Immediate allergic reaction is shown to develop earlier, as indicated by the results of the determination of homocytotropic antibody tites in passive skin anaphylaxis and by the results of the basophil degranulation test, than the appearance of delayed hypersensitivity detected by the leukocyte migration inhibition test.