Immunoregulatory markers of bronchopulmonary diseases in workers of the aluminium industry

Abstract

The laboratory immunologic study covered 106 male workers of aluminium industry, aimed to reveal features of changes in serum immunoglobulines and cytokines levels in accordance with occupational bronchopulmonary disease type: chronic nonobstructive bronchitis, chronic obstructive lung disease (COLD), bronchial asthma. General trend in the revealed changes in the patients with bronchopulmonary diseases is increased serum levels of Ig (IgA, IgM, IgG), anti-infl ammatory cytokines (IL–1b, IL-8) and lower production (TNF-a, IL-4). Findings are multidirectional changes INF-g responsible for inflammatory response mobilization — that was increased vs. reference values in bronchial asthma patients, and in chronic nonobstructive bronchitis patients was lower than in reference group, and higher than in patients with COLD. The changes revealed were associated with disordered ratio IL-4/INF-g. Differences were observed for pleiotropic IL-2: it was hyperproduced in the workers with chronic nonobstructive bronchitis, but in the bronchial asthma and COLD patients it was decreased vs. the reference group and vs. the chronic nonobstructive bronchitis patients. The authors justified informative criteria of bronchial asthma diagnosis.