[Status of the protease inhibitor system in patients with dust-induced lung diseases].

Investigation of protease inhibitors in the blood of silicosis and dust bronchitis patients revealed disbalance in the silicosis cases which manifested itself in growing elastase activity against normal protease inhibitors content--alpha 1 antitrypsin and alpha 2 macroglobuline. Meanwhile the silicosis cases, as compared with bronchitis, displayed greater biochemical changes, thus indicating inflammatory destructive processes in the lungs.