Apoptosis, along with proliferation, is a form of lymphocyte response to activating stimuli. In the early stages of cell differentiation, the apoptotic response prevails and it results to the formation of tolerance to inductor antigen. Mature lymphocytes proliferate in response to stimulation and it means the initial stage in the development of the immune response. Since in this case apoptosis and proliferation acts as alternative processes, their ratio can serve as a measure of the effectiveness of the cellular response to activating signals. The resistance of autoreactive T-cells to apoptosis is the main key point in the development of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Autoreactive T-cells migrates from the bloodstream to the islet tissue of the pancreas and take an active part in b cells destruction. The resistance of autoreactive effector T-cells to apoptosis may suggest their high proliferative potential. Therefore, the comparative evaluation of apoptosis and proliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes can give a more complete picture of their functional state and thus will help to reveal the causes of ineffective peripheral blood T-ceiis apoptosis in patients with T1DM and will help to understand more deeply the pathogenesis of the disease. in this article, the features of proliferative response of peripheral blood T-cells in patients with T1DM and in individuals with high risk of developing T1DM have been studied. Apoptosis of T-cell subpopulations has been investigated. The correlation between the apoptotic markers and the intensity of spontaneous and activation- induced in vitro T-cells proliferation of was revealed. it was determined, that autoreactive peripheral blood T-cells were resistant to apoptosis and demonstrated the increased proliferative potential in patients with T1DM and in individuals with high risk of developing T1DM.
