[Incidence of antigen expression for HLA antigens A,B,C and DR in patients with atopic diseases in Poland]. / Czestosc wystepowania antygenów HLA A, B, C i DR u chorych z chorobami atopowymi w Polsce.

Studies of several authors suggest an interdependence of atopic diseases and HLA antigens. Therefore, the authors evaluated an incidence of HLA antigens of classes I and II in patients with atopic disease and healthy individuals. The study involved 127 patients with atopy and 79 healthy blood donors. Anamnesis, results of skin tests and serum levels of allergenic-specific IgE served as the base of atopy diagnosis or exclusion. HLA antigens were assayed with a standard micro-lymphocytotoxic test using two series of standard anti-HLA sera. It enabled to detect 16 locus A-dependent antigens, 25 locus B-dependent and 8 locus C-dependent antigens as well as 8 antigens dependent on locus DR. Only antigen HLA-Bw53 was found more frequently in patients with atopic diseases suggesting its relation to atopy. The results concerning other HLA antigens did not confirm HLA antigens association with atopy suggested by other authors.

[Three month treatment with budesonide in patients with corticoid dependent bronchial asthma--personal experience]. / Trzymiesieczne leczenie budezonidem chorych na steroidozalezna dychawice oskrzelowa--doswiadczenia wlasne.

The experiment aimed at evaluating a three-month therapy of asthmatic patients with budesonide inhalations. The study involved 32 patients with long-lasting bronchial asthma depended on steroids. Therapy with budesonide (Pulmicort Astra) in a mean daily dose 1.6 mg enabled withdrawal of depot steroids and inhalation treatment only. In patients receiving prednisone in a mean daily dose 5.0 +/- 4.8 mg, budesonide therapy enabled a reduction of the oral dose by 50 percent. A significant improvement in the psychophysical status of patients has been noted despite a lack of significant differences in the results of lung functioning tests. Adverse reactions such as relaxation, insufficiency of the vocal cords at phonation and hoarseness were seen in 20 percent of patients, and in one of them required cessation of the drug. An increase in the number of Candida albicans colonies in throat swabs (over 20 colonies per plate) was seen in 7 treated patients but clinical symptoms which required an additional treatment were noted only in 1 patient.

[Study of the effects of calcium antagonists on respiration mechanics in patients with occlusive ventilation impairment]. / Badania wplywu antagonistów wapnia na mechanike oddychania u chorych z obturacyjnym uposledzeniem wentylacji.

In 113 patients and 33 controls the bronchodilating effect of three most frequently used calcium channel blockers nifedipine, verapamil and diltiazem was studied. The group comprised 76 men and 41 women aged 20 to 60 years, with bronchospastic conditions of various aetiology. The Jaeger Bodytest apparatus was used. The indices of bronchial patency determined in the study were: FEV1, MEF50, and Rt before and 30 and 120 minutes after one dose of nifedipine 20 mg, verapamil 80 mg and diltiazem 120 mg in various subgroups of patients. The criteria of bronchospasm reversibility were those accepted by SEPCR. It was shown that oral administration of one mean dose of calcium channel blocker causes improvement of the indices of bronchial patency in about one-third of cases contrary to the results in controls. The bronchodilating effect was greatest after nifedipine. The obtained results justify the trials of treatment with calcium channel antagonists in cases with reversible bronchospasm of various aetiology.

[Evaluation of the protective effects of nifedipine and verapamil in patients with bronchial hyperreactivity]. / Ocena ochronnego dzialania nifedypiny i verapamilu u chorych z nadreaktywnoscia oskrzeli.

The protective effect was studied of the drugs blocking the calcium channel on histamine-induced bronchospasm. In a group of 107 studied subjects with clinical suspicion of bronchial hyperreactivity in 37 cases hypersensitivity to histamine was diagnosed. The protective effect of one oral dose of nifedipine 20 mg and verapamil 1.6 mg administered by inhalation was assessed. A protective effect of nifedipine was observed in 61% and that of verapamil in 37% of cases. These drugs may be used in the prophylaxis and treatment of bronchospastic conditions.

Immunobiochemical evaluation of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in atopic bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis.

The protease-antiprotease balance and concentration of immunoglobulin was evaluated in some respiratory tract diseases. Analysis was carried out on 24 patients with atopic bronchial asthma, 21 with chronic bronchitis, 27 with bronchiectasis and 18 healthy smokers volunteers. In examination of BAL fluid some selective changes of proteolytic enzymes activities and concentrations of their natural inhibitors were documented. In atopic bronchial asthma the increased activity of acid protease, acid phosphatase and concentration of alpha-2-macroglobulin was the most characteristic. In chronic bronchitis there was an increase of acid protease, alkaline phosphatase and concentration of alpha-1-antitrypsin, haptoglobin, but in bronchiectasis the increase of neutral and acid proteases activities and concentration of all examined natural inhibitors was noted. The changes in concentration of IgA and IgG confirmed their participation in local defense response. All examined BAL enzyme activities and concentrations of inhibitors and immunoglobulins were compared with the results of the parameters in serum, mentioned above. The obtained finding supports the suggestion that the proteolytic enzymes, their natural inhibitors and immunoglobulins play an important role in the respiratory tract pathology. Immunobiochemical analysis of BAL in atopic bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis and bronchiectasis may be useful for clinical prognosis and pharmacological treatment.