Aim. To evaluate the serum level of pathogenic circulating immune complexes in patients with mild and severe atopic bronchial asthma. Methods. Serum samples of patients with atopic asthma of mild persistent (30 patients) and severe persistent (20 patients) forms were analyzed. The control group consisted of 15 healthy volunteers. To detect the giant, large, medium and small-sized serum immune complexes, 3, 3.5, 4 and 7% polyethyleneglycol-6000 solutions were used. For quantitative evaluation of the immune complexes we measured the ultraviolet optical density at 280 nm wave length. To separate the immune complexes from immunoglobulin, Protein-G-Sepharose was used. Determination of the protein composition of circulating immune complexes was performed by electrophoresis in 8% polyacrylamide gel. Results. The concentration of immune complexes was increased in patients with bronchial asthma compared to healthy donors. Small and medium-sized immune complexes were prevailing, their concentrations correlated with the severity of asthma. Large, medium and small-sized immune complexes participated in immunopathological reactions in patients with both mild and severe asthma, with immune complexes pathogenicity coefficient significantly increased depending on the severity of the disease. Electrophoretic analysis of circulating immune complexes has shown the presence of proteins with molecular weight of 60 kDa in the complexes of all sizes. In the severe asthma group, an antigen fraction with a molecular mass of 36 kDa within the small-sized molecular complexes was revealed. Conclusion. The observed increase of small and medium-sized circulating immune complexes serum levels in patients with bronchial asthma may be an indicator of of these patients predisposal to autoimmune reactions development.

96 patients with allergic rhinitis aged from 24 to 40 years were under our supervision at the Republican Center of Clinical Immunology. Patients (40 men and 56 women) were followed regularly for 5 years. The duration of the disease did not exceed 10 years. The diagnostic program aimed to establish the signs of "atopic phenotype" and specific hypersensitivity in patients with allergic rhinitis. It included an allergic history, skin testing, provocative nasal tests, test of inhibition of natural emigration of leukocytes (TTEL) with histamine, determination of the number of eosinophils in peripheral blood, assessment of humoral and cellular immunity, HL-typing.

The comparative analysis of the use of H1-receptors antagonists, H1- and H2-antagonists complex, dimephosphone in the treatment of patients with chronic urticaria is presented. The treatment effect is estimated by suppression of classic urticaria symptoms (rash, pruritus, edema) and remission length. The investigation results show the high efficacy of dimephosphone in the treatment of chronic urticaria resistant to antihistaminic drugs.

A wide range of clinical efficiency of dimephosphone a home-made low-toxic organic phosphonis drug supposes its effect on the processes universal for most cellular systems. The basis of the leading mechanisms of effect of the drug is antagonism to calcium-dependent processes of the intracellular transfer of excitation. The concept of the therapeutic effect of dimephosphone on the basis of antiinflammatory, antihistaminic and antiagrega-tional properties with the recommendation to comprehensive use according to new indications in patients with chronic urticaria and acute erosive and ulcerous processes of gastroenteric tract is developed.