[Cytochemical research on the peripheral blood erythrocytes and neutrophils of coal miners].

A total of 140 miners, divided into 4 groups were studied. The first group consisted of 25 practically healthy people, newly employed, examined at a health center of the mine, the second of 21 patients with anthracosilicosis, the third of 36 with anthracosilicosis confirmed by X-ray, the fourth included 58 facing the first stage of anthracosilicosis. Erythrocyte histidine and catecholamine levels, myeloperoxidase and beta-glucuronidase activities, data of lysosomal cation (LC) and NBT tests in neutrophils were under study. The miners of groups 2, 3, 4 showed the increased beta-glucuronidase activity (by 47-73%) and NBT test values (37-96%), lowered levels of catecholamines (57-67%), histidine (48-60%), results of LC-test (29-32%) and myeloperoxidase activity (21-31%) in comparison with normal subjects. The findings will help diagnose the latent forms of anthracosilicosis comparatively early, when the structural changes cannot be detected by X-ray.