| Summary: | Fas is the receptor of tumor necrosis family receptors (TNFR) and involves in apoptosis. Since discovery of T helper 17 cells (Th17) in 2005, which are defined as a new type of helper T cells, it has become clear that the dysregulated function Th17 cells and their cytokines could contribute to pathology of diseases including autoimmune diseases and cancer. There is not much known about apoptotic and survival mechanisms of Th17 cells in the literature. Therefore, the players of apoptotic cell death in Th17 cells were investigated in the study. To carry out designed experiments, venous blood were drawn from the healthy volunteers with approval from the Noninvasive Ethics Committee. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated from blood with Ficoll separation method. The naïve CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells were sorted from the PBMC. Sorted naive T cells were cultured under Th17 polarizing conditions. The activation, differentiation and apoptosis related molecules of cultured cells were monitored by Flow cytometry. Data showed that naive CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells were activated and differentiated into Th17 cells. Activated Th17 cells were Fas positive. Activated, Fas positive Th17 cells did not underwent significant plasma membrane changes. Furthermore, it was also observed that there was not much change in the Bcl-2 protein level. Bcl-2 protein is belongs to B-cell-lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2) family proteins and is major regulator of intrinsic apoptotic pathway as promoting cell survival. In addition to that the expression of Bclx-L, is an anti-apoptotic protein, were increased in these cells. Data indicates that Th17 cells (under Th17 polarization condition) were increased expression of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 family members.
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