A nine-year experience with the school for asthmatics demonstrated: 1. High effectiveness of patients’ treatment due to gaining more information about the disease and active involvement into the treatment process: and, 2. The necessity to apply different forms of education (individual and group training).

The article deals with research into bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus as its complication with respect to genetic approach. It has been shown, that bronchial asthm a was characterized by the complete set of features specific for multifactor diseases. Correlations between bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus as its complication are being studied now. Basing on a study of a large diabetic population in Moscow, data concerning bronchial asthma incidence among them have been obtained. The findings have been compared to current epidemiological data on bronchial asthma incidence in various regions of the USSR. Further steps have been outlined to examine families of probands with bronchial asthma and diabetes mellitus to decide upon distinguishing high risk groups among probands — in respect to steroid administration; among relatives of the 1st order of relation — in respect to possible development of multifactor diseases; primary preventive activities among population.

160 patients with bronchial asthma were examined for mycotic sensibilization. All patients underwent basic clinical (physical examination, blood and sputum analyses, chest X-ray, spirography), immunological (titers of total and mycotic specific serum IgE by the methods of RAST, PRIST and circulating immune complexes), serological (precipitation and counterimmunoelectrophoresis), and mycological (sputum culture for mycotic flora) tests. Sensibilization to Aspergillus fumigatis, Candida, and Penicillium was revealed in 17 cases (10.3 %), 7 of those with atopic asthma. Conclusion of considerable role of mycotic flora in respiratory allergoses is drawn.

The possibility of therapeutic application of hypoxic-hypercapnic mixture of gases (FiO₂ — 18 vol.%, FiCO₂ — 2 vol.% ) in patients with chronic respiratory failure IInd and IIId stages with moderate arterial hypoxemia. It was demonstrated that inhaling this mixture is accompanied by total and alveolar hyperventilation, causing a reliable increase in oxygenation in this group of patients, not associated with hypocapnia or changes in oxygen blood supply. Concommitantly, there was improvement in the distribution of ventitation-perfusion ratio, physiological pulmonary bypass decreasing by 10—12 % from the initial level, which may account for the above changes. Similar mixture of gases may be recommended in patients with CPF and moderate arterial hypoxemia in order to improve blood oxygenation and to train respiratory system.

We have carried out a stead y state pharmacokynetic comparison of three different theophylline preparations in nine healthy volunteers using a once a day dosage schedule of 600 mg theophylline given before bedtime for four days. The preparations tested were Retafyllin 200 mg depot tablet (R), Theo-Dur 200 mg depot tablet (T) and Uniphyllin 200 mg tablet (U). All preparations in steady state reached the serum level of 8.9— 10.2 microg/ml after a single evening dose of theophylline 600 mg. The pharmacokinetic profile of these slow release theophylline preparations was such that there is no risk of exceeding the therapeutic range even after a rather high evening dose. Individual variation was also observed in the present study but nobody exceeded the therapeutic range. The pharmacokinetic profiles of R and U were quite similar and they seemed to have suitable pharmacokinetic properties for once a day dosage, and they showed a more sustained action than T. Only minimal gastrointestinal side effects were reported during this study.

Delayed results of acute pneumonias and their correlation with changes in the sensitivity and reactivity of bronchial cholinergic and beta-adrenergic receptors were studied in 106 patients with acute pneumonia, 43 of whom presented with changes in bronchial sensitivity and 12 — with changes in bronchial reactivity. Bronchial sensitivity and reactivity were assessed by inhalation challenge tests using acetylcholine and obsidan (propranolol).

The results of the study demonstrated that in the patients with acute pneumonia accompanied by changes in bronchial sensitivity, chronization of acute pneumonia occured more often (in 16.2 % of cases) than in the patients with normal bronchomotor sensitivity (5.9 % of cases). The patients presenting with changes in the bronchial reactivity, were at a risk of pneumonia transforming into bronchial asthma and pre-asthmatic state.

Protective effect of a new domestic preparation Salbutamol was studied in a model of bronchial spasm induced by physical exertion; it was compared to a foreign analogue — Ventolin — as a standard drug, and placebo. A group of 30 patients suffering from bronchial asthma associated with asthmatic attacks after physical exertion had been selected for the trial. Analysis of the findings revealed that both compared drugs were markedly superior to placebo and not significantly different in terms of protective effect.

Results of treatment of 62 cases of recurrent sarcoidosis are summarized. In 28 of those plasmapheresis was used (separately or combined with corticosteroids). Remission was achieved in 25 of 28 patients treated with plasmapheresis, compared to 24 of 34 in the control group. The use of plasmapheresis resulted in significant im provement of lung ventilation parameters and cellular immunity. Plasmapheresis is recommended for the treatment of recurrent respiratory sarcoidosis in cases low effectivity of steroid therary or intolerance to it.