Induction of lymphocyte apoptosis in healthy individuals and patients with rheumatoid arthritis under “cellular neighborhood” in vitro

The aim of the study was to investigate the features of T-lymphocyte apoptosis induced by components of autologous apoptotic cultures in vitro in norm and rheumatoid arthritis in the context of «cellular neighborhood». Materials and methods. Subjects of the study were blood samples of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and healthy women of comparable age. Developed protocol allowed to differentially evaluate the parameters of proliferation, early and late stages of apoptosis in the «primary» (CFSE-) and «secondary» (CFSE+) induced apoptotic T-lymphocyte cultures. It was estimated the effect of cellular and humoral components of unstimulated, anti-CD3- and dexamethasone-stimulated cells under the conditions of overcrowding and depleted culture media on autologous lymphocytes, cultured under physiological conditions, in norm and RA. Results. Comparative qualitative analysis revealed the features of the processes of T-lymphocyte apoptosis in norm and pathology. Also, the parameters of early and late stages of apoptosis of a «primary» induced culture and «secondary» induced cells after transferring the cellular and humoral components of apoptotic cultures did not differ significantly either initially or during culturing in both investigated groups. But it was a significant increase in the amount of living T-cells in «primary»-induced unstimulated and dexamethasone-stimulated RA patients’ cultures compared to similar donors’ cultures. Conclusion. There was no difference between stimulated with anti-CD3 antibodies cells and the «secondary» induced cultures. Taking into account the absence of significant differences in the parameters of activation apoptosis, the increased number of living cells in RA patients’ cultures relative to donors’ is evidence of contribution of non-autonomous apoptosis effects to cellular homeostasis in RA.