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The levels of surfactant phospholipid from bronchoalveolar lavage were measured in 70 patients with pulmonary diseases and in 10 apparently healthy individuals. The levels of surfactant phospholipid components were lower in patients with peripheral lung cancer, infiltrative tuberculosis, focal pneumonia, most significant in cancer; differential diagnostic criteria for these diseases are defined.

Parameters of natural and probe fluorescence of peripheral blood lymphocytes have been studied in 25 normal persons and 72 patients suffering from extensive forms of pulmonary tuberculosis who live in various radioecological conditions. It was found that in cell suspension the intensity of fluorescence of protein and the membrane-bound merocyanine 540 dye was 2.0-3.2 and 3.9-7.1 times higher, respectively, for the lymphocytes of the examined patients. For lymphocytes of the patients who live in radionuclide-contaminated areas fluorescence of reduced pyridine nucleotides and some fluorescent probes (ANS, DPGT, the ratio of eximer to monomer fluorescence of pyrene) and the merocyanine-photosensitized cell death were also found to increase. These can indicate some changes of cell membranes and reduction of the oxidation resistance of lymphocytes. There was not any substantial dependence on the changes in the parameters determined in the patients calculated radiation doses was revealed. It was found that biophysical tests, in particular, photosensitized cell death, are informative for estimation of severity of the tuberculous process and prognosis of its outcome in patients who live in adverse radioecological conditions.

A total of 151 individuals was examined, among which 40 were apparently healthy, 28 have had recurrent respiratory diseases and in 83 the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease was proven. The results demonstrated the intensified lipids peroxidation, endogenic antioxidants deficiency and the depressed T and B immunity in those exposed to the occupational chemical hazards, especially with concurrent acute and chronic respiratory diseases. The levels of diene conjugates, fat-soluble vitamins, T lymphocytes subunits and serum immune complexes were proved to serve as the criteria of premorbid condition in the humans exposed to occupational hazards. The obtained results necessitate the antioxidant treatment and immune correction as a prophylaxis in chemical industry.

Strains of M. tuberculosis isolated from tuberculous patients exposed to low-dose radiation after the Chernobyl accident were compared to those obtained from tuberculous non-irradiated controls for L-forms incidence, L-transformation and virulence. A total of 31 cultures were examined in vivo. In response to L-transforming preparations the frequency and rate of L-forms induction in the test strains were much higher than those in the controls. The same tendency was registered for virulence.

Pharmacokinetics of rifampicin after its single intratracheal administration in the form of the liposome-encapsulated drug and its aqueous solution was studied on rats. It was shown that after the exposure to the liposome-incorporated rifampicin (10 mg/kg) the concentration-time curve in the blood and lungs was sigmoid with the retarded decrease in the blood drug concentration within 9 hours. The plateau segment of the curve provided at least a 4-fold longer maintenance of the rifampicin concentration in the blood and lungs at 3 to 4 micrograms/ml. The use of the liposome-incorporated antibiotic induced 2- and 1.5-fold increases in the AUC in regard to the lungs and blood, respectively.

The efficiency of complex methods of examination, including that of the new special ones, for the diagnosis of disseminated processes in the lungs has been studied in 300 patients between the ages of 20 and 76 years. The following methods were used: microbiological (including a new nutritive medium for mycobacteria activation), immuno-enzymatic (detection of specific antigens), immuno-morphologic with determination of antigen determinants of tuberculosis mycobacteria and their L-forms with the help of specific antisera, cytologic, biochemical (the content of phospholipids and their fractions in the bronchoalveolar washing and blood plasma cortisol/insulin ratio), ++tracheo-bronchoscopic and surgical methods. A possibility of the verification of the clinical diagnosis of various diseases was established with the help of each method being used. Surgical intervention (thoracoscopy with lung biopsy and open lung biopsy) which confirm the diagnosis in 96.4% of cases proved to be the most informative diagnostic method.

As a result of a retrospective clinico-morphological evaluation of the data on 356 cases of thyroid adenoma and 91 cases of follicular cancer, the so-called "colloidal adenomas' (280 cases) were referred to nodular goiter, while parenchymatous adenomas--to early follicular carcinoma. Criteria for identification of cancer were trabecular-microfollicular structure of tumor, solidness of structure, invasion through vessels, node capsule and adjacent tissue, relapse and metastases of tumor and frequently-observed localization of tumor in non-hyperplastic gland tissue.

The authors tested the virulence of K. ozaenae--its old museum strains, the freshly isolated ones and those passaged on meat-peptone agar; experiments were carried out on mice and chick embryos. To mice the culture was administered intraperitoneally, subcutaneously, intranasally, and to embryos--into the allantoic cavity and on the chorioallantoic membrane. Irrespective of the method of administration, the freshly isolated strains were highly virulent both for mice and for chick embryos. The virulence of such strains decreased in the process of passaging on the nutrient medium. Old museum strains were of low virulence for albino mice and avirulent for chick embryos. In comparing the virulent and avirulent strains there were found no differences in the antigenic structure and toxicity of the Boiven complex, cytoplasm, membrane, capsular polysaccharide or whole virulent and avirulent bacteria killed by heating.