Principles of etiopathogenetic therapy for acute respiratory viral infections in frequently ill children

Abstract

Objective: to investigate the impact of incorporation of cycloferon into a therapy regimen on the efficiency of treatment for acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) in frequently ill children. Subjects and methods. The results of treatment were analyzed in 117 children divided into three groups according to the therapy regimen. Thus, symptomatic and local antiviral therapies (interferon nasal ointment and viferon suppositories) were prescribed to all the children; furthermore, Group 1 (control) used antibiotic therapy; Group 2 (Comparison Group 1) took antibiotics and cycloferon (tablets), and Group 3 (Comparison Group 2) had Cycloferon. Results: At the beginning of treatment, there was a reduction in interferon-a and interferon-y values with preserved serum interferon levels, suggesting the diminished compensatory responses ensuring antiviral protection. Analysis of the immune status revealed that virtually half of the children exhibited activation of compensatory mechanisms (stimulation of CD4+ and CD8+ production and an increase in NST test activity), one third displayed a disturbance (decreases in CD4+, CDlfrf, IgA, and NST test activity). After treatment, interferonogenesis was recovered in the majority (86,7%) of the patients taking Cycloferon, in 74,1% of those who had a treatment regimen containing cycloferon and antibiotics, and only in 47,1 % of those who received antibiotics. Comparison of the immunological indicators during therapy with antibiotics alone or in combination with cycloferon demonstrated a more noticeable and balanced response to the latter: the normalized CD4+ and CD8+ values in the patients on antibiotic therapy was 8,9 and 5,8%, respectively, and 11,1 % in those who received antibiotics and cycloferon. Conclusion. Incorporation of cycloferon into ARVI treatment regimens for frequently ill patients has the positive effect on immunological indicators, which shows itself as recovery of initially diminished interferonogenesis (antiviral protection) and the use of cycloferon in combination with antibiotic therapy exerts an im-munomodulatory effect in causing more marked and balanced positive immunological changes.