[Production of gamma-interferon by blood mononuclear cells in patients with various types of a tuberculous process].

To elucidate the diagnostic value of gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) in the human body, the gamma-IFN production that was spontaneous and induced by BCG Mycobacterium bovis in the supernatants of short-term cultures of peripheral mononuclear cell from 31 patients with active tuberculosis was studied. The sandwich method of enzyme immunoassay was used, by employing two monoclonal antibodies in the avidin-biotin system. The studies have established the low spontaneous production of gamma-IFN in patients with the severe progressive course of a tuberculous process (22.5 +/- 2.5 pg/ml in Group 1 versus 41.5 +/- 8.6 pg/ml in patients with the favorable course of a tuberculous process (Group 2) and 34.0 +/- 3.5 pg/ml in healthy individuals (Group 3); p(1-2) < 0.05 and p(1-3) < 0.05)). Moreover, there was a reduction in the induced production of gamma-IFH in response to BGC (37.7 +/- 33.4 pg/ml in Group 1 versus 214.9 +/- 81.9 pg/ml in Group 2 and 206.0 +/- 31.1 pg/ml in healthy individuals; p < 0.05 and p(1-3) < 0.001), which is of diagnostic and prognostic values.