CHANGES OF LEUKOCYTE SENSITIVITY OF CO2 I NHIBITORY EFFECTS ON THEIR GENERATION OF ACTIVE OXYGEN FORMS IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA

30 bronchial asthma (BA) patients and 15 donors were exposed to 8.3% a nd 20.8% CO2 to bring out leukocytes sensitivity to CO2 by generation of active oxygen (AO) in bronchial asthma. CO2 effects on leukocyte AO generation were defined by luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) b efore and after the exposure to CO2. It was found that in healthy subj ects 8.3% and 20.8% CO2 noticeably inhibits leukocyte CL. However, in 70% of astmatics with BA exacerbation leukocyte sensitivity to CO2 inh ibition diminished. This was normal in 30% of BA patients. With BA agg ravation, leukocyte sensitivity to CO2 tended to a decrease. Remission brought a complete or partial recovery of the above sensitivity. Thus , on the one hand, CO2 is involved in BA pathogenesis in terms of its inhibitory effect on AO generation by leukocytes; on tile other hand, only in 30% of BA patients high CO(2)concentrations as a treatment may be justified.