The regulative factors of T lymphocyte apoptosis in patients with sepsis

Abstract

During sepsis, the immune hyperfunction and suppression can coexist. T lymphocyte apoptosis plays an important role in immune dysfunction. The quantitative and functional alterations of T lymphocytes make im-mune hyperfunction drifting to suppression or even paralysis. In this process, Treg, DC, TNF-α and its recep-tor, Bcl family, interleukin-2 and other cytokines play important roles. The interactions of these substances ul-timately result in the apoptosis of T-cells, and immune suppression, which in turn leads to difficulty to removed the pathogens and secondary infection. It was found that the treatment aimed at the regulative factors of T lym-phocyte apoptosis can inhibit T lymphocyte apoptosis to some extent. However, an effective way to suppress T-cell apoptosis has not been found, and the prognosis of patients was not improved in the applicaion of this ap-proach. The reasons might lie on the limited understanding of the mechanism of the occurrence and development of sepsis. Key words: T lymphocytes;  Apoptosis;  Sepsis