T. K. Davtyan, S. A. Avetisyan, academician E. S. Gabrielyan, academician V. P. Hakobyan

The Effect of Iodine-lithium-a-dextrin (Armenicum) on the Periodic Activation of
Spontaneous and Inducible Respiratory Burst of Granulocytes and Monocytes during Familial
Mediterranean Fever

   The effect of iodine-lithium-a-dextrin (Armenicum) on the spontaneous and chemotaxis-, proteinkinase C-, and phagocytosis-induced respiratory burst of neutrophils and monocytes in the peripheral blood of patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever (FMF) was studied. The transitory activation of neutrophils and monocytes was also analyzed on the level of a single cell using flow cytometry. It was shown that Armenicum suppresses the activity and intensity of chemotaxis-induced respiratory burst, and also lowers the probability of transitory pro-oxidant activation of monocytes and neutrophils in FMF patients, which depends both on the force and mechanism of the action of inducers of free radicals production, as well as on the presence or absence of an FMF attack. In the presence of cochicine, the inhibitory effect of Arm on chemotaxis-, proteinkinase C-, and phagocytosis-dependent free radicals production, and the periodic pro-oxidant activation of effector cells of inflammation, is potentiated. Armenicum most effectively acts on the monocyte population of FMF patients both in the period of remission as well as during an attack and, like colchicine, suppresses the periodic pro-oxidant activation of monocyte and neutrophils of FMF patients during an attack.