the purpose of this study was to analyze the mechanism of histamine action in histamine-dependent reactions of neutrophils and lymphocytes in patients with byssinosis and chronic asthmatic bronchitis due to cotton and flax dust inhalation. an estimate of the histamine content in blood serum, the receptor/histamine distribution of lymphocyte and neutrophil sub-populations (rosette-forming double and triple reactions), and a determination of the histamine modeling effect on lymphocyte-neutrophil cooperation in the inhibition reaction of leukocyte migration revealed that under cotton dust effect neutrophils and the component system were involved in the histamine liberation process in byssinosis patients, lymphocytes were most likely not involved in the process. flax dust-affected histamine reactions were not so distinct: lymphocyte and neutrophil reactivity in byssinosis patients did not exceed the standards. patients with chronic asthmatic bronchitis had high blood concentration of histamine and experienced some changes in cells migration characteristics. (edited author abstract) 13 refs. in russian