ON THE ROLE OF SECONDARY IMMUNODEFICIENCY IN THE FORMATION OF THE PROLONGED COURSE OF ACUTE DYSENTERY

An opinion on the expediency of working out criteria for dividing acut e dysentery patients into risk groups, depending on the development of immune deficiency, has been put forward. The results of the study of some characteristics of T-cell immunity system in 228 acute dysentery patients in relation to their clinical state are presented. Measuremen ts of total active T lymphocytes, T helpers and T suppressors have bee n made. Disturbances in the immunity characterictics under study, more pronounced in patients with a more severe and prolonged course of the disease, as well as in patients receiving belated treatment, have bee n noted. Besides the total number of T lymphocytes and their subpopula tions, the inbalance of these cells is also an important feature. To s olve the problem of prescribing immunocorrective therapy, not only imm unological, but also clinical characteristics should be taken into con sideration.