[Significance of various respiratory viruses in the development of chronic nonspecific bronchopulmonary processes].

Combined virological and bacteriological studies were carried out in 83 patients with chronic bronchopulmonary diseases. Viral antigens, predominantly respiratory syncytial virus antigen, were detected in 72% of the patients in bronchial material obtained by bronchoscopy. Examinations for antibody of IgM and IgG classes specific for different viruses revealed acute infection in 79% of the patients which coincided with exacerbation of the process due to concomitant ARVD. The other patients had chronic virus infection. The over-time studies confirmed long-term persistence of viruses in bronchial epithelium in 15 patients (in 9 respiratory syncytial, in 5 adenovirus, in 1 parainfluenza virus). Thus, the above results showed respiratory viruses not only to play a role in exacerbation of chronic bronchopulmonary diseases, but in a number of cases apparently to be the main cause of their development.