Sibiryak SV, Yusupova RSh, Kayumova EU*
Russian Center of Ocular and Plastic Surgery, Ufa, Russia; *Phthysiopulmonary Hospital, Ufa, Russia
Russ. J. Immunol. 1999, April 15, 4 (1), 33-42.
As well as the proliferation of antigen-specific T and B cells the programmed cell death (apoptosis) of lymphocytes is one of the key mechanisms of the immune homeostasis regulation. The apoptosis of immunocytes is associated with the expression of Fas/Apo-1 (CD95) glycoprotein. The expression of Fas/Apo-1 (CD95) on the peripheral blood lymphocytes from 45 healthy donors and 45 patients with pulmonary tuberculosis was studied. The percentage of CD95+ lymphocytes of the healthy donors was 40.1±10.9, significant correlation of this parameter with the percentage of CD3+ and CD4+ lymphocytes was observed. In patients with pulmonary tuberculosis the percentage of CD95+ lymphocytes was 47.0±15.9. In this case the correlations between the percentage of CD95+ lymphocytes, CD72+ B cells, CD25+ lymphocytes and HLA DR+ cells and serum IgA level were observed. Using the procedure of cluster analysis it was shown that extremal number of the CD95+ lymphocytes is typical for the patients with the prognostically unfavorable immune abnormalities and clinic picture, high levels of serum TNFalpha and hypercortisolemia. It is tempting to speculate that apoptosis of T cells (possibly Th1 cells) is of great importance in the pathogenesis of the immunodeficiency associated with the micobacteriosis.