FEVERS OF UNCLEAR GENESIS - NEW ASPECTS O F THE OLD PROBLEM

Fever is an important component of immune response of the organism to various stimulating effects (trauma, infection, inflammation). This co mplex process comprises activation of monocytes/macrophages, their syn thesis and secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and realization of m ultiple biological effects of cytokines including growth stimulation a nd differentiation of hemopoietic cells. Recently, there has appeared a trend to growing number of cases with uncommon hyperthermia and 2-3 germ cytopenia in the blood. Activation of the macrophage system and h yperproduction of proinflammatory cytokines can be viewed not only as an essential mechanism of hemopoiesis stimulation but also as a potent ial cause of hemodepression. The paper analyzes the relations between high functional activity of the macrophage system and development of c ytopenia in patients with persistent fever. Functional activity of the macrophage system was studied on the model of patients with tumors or reactive proliferations of monocytes-macrophages as the latter are th e main sources of IL-1-cytokine - a mediator of human fever. To prove the suggested correlation and its significance, a correlation analysis was made of 29 clinical and laboratory parameters in 184 patients and 100 controls.