T-cell apoptosis in autoimmune diseases: termination of inf lammation in the nervous system and other sites with specialized immune-defense mechanisms

摘要

We have studied T-cell apoptosis in animal models of human autoimmune disorders of the nervous system and in other tissues devoid of specialized immune-defense mechanisms. Our data suggest that the CNS has high potential for elimination of T-cell-dependent inflammation, whereas this mechanism is less effective in the PNS, and is almost absent in other tissues such as muscle and skin. Interestingly, several conventional and novel immunotherapeutic approaches, such as glucocorticosteroid and high-dose antigen therapy, induce T-cell apoptosis experiments suggest different scenarios for the mechanisms by which specific cellular and humoral elements in the nervous system synergize and sensitize T cells for apoptosis We also discuss regulatory, proapoptotic mechanisms, such as the Fas–FasL system and galectin-1, that have been utilized in other tissues to mediate immune protection.