[Immunological responsiveness of mercury-exposed workers].

: Immunological responsiveness was studied in 133 workers who were in contact with mercury and in 20 patients with chronic mercury intoxication. Changes were revealed in the cellular, humoral, and phagocytic links of immunity in healthy workers. The development of occupational neurointoxication was shown to be accompanied by the increased count of lymphocytes expressing the markers of late (CD95+ and HLA-DR+) and early (CD25+) activation in the presence of significant immunosuppression. The findings suggest that impaired immunoregulation plays an important role in the development of chronic mercury intoxication.