Determination of blood cells sensitization to medicines with simple inexpensive laboratory methods remains actual in the treatment of patients with allergic / toxic-allergic reactions. The literature data evidence that the level of leukocytes sensitization is related with the increase of potassium content in the supernatant fluid from a suspension of leukocytes, which have been incubated with the allergen (e.g. Yanchenko, V.V. et al. Immunopathology, allergology, insectology 1999; 1: 67-70).

 The purpose of the research was to find out the features of potassium ions release (RPI) from blood leukocytes in patients with tuberculosis (TB) of lungs with toxic-allergic reactions (TAR) to anti-tuberculosis drugs (ATD).

Examination of 16 patients with TB with TAR to PTP was carried out with in vitro determination of the RPI of leukocytes with ATD: rifampicin (R), isoniazid (H), and etambutol (E) at the final concentration of 1.0 mg/ml.

It was found that the addition of ATD to the leukocytes veil inhibits RPI in healthy people: with R ? to (2.3 ± 0.2) units; with H ? to (2.5 ± 0.2) units; with E ? to (1.9 ± 0,1) units, in comparison with the control ? (3.1 ± 0.5) units, p <0.05. Instead, there was an increase in RPI out of leukocytes in vitro in patients with TB with TAR after of ATD medication: R ? to (4.9 ± 0.5) units; H ? to (24.7 ± 0.4) units; E ? to (4.7 ± 0.4) units, in comparison with a group of healthy persons, p <0.05.

Therefore, increased RPI from leukocytes to ATD in vitro can be considered as a sign of hypersensitivity to ATD in TB patients with TAR, and inhibition of RPI more testifies the toxic effects of ATD on blood leukocytes in vitro.