MACROPHAGE APOPTOSIS AS A MECHANISM OF PATHOGENIC EFFECT OF DIPHTHERIA INFECTIOUS AGENT

Aim. Study of the apoptogenic effect of Corynebacterium diphtheriae toxigenic strains on mice peritoneal
macrophages in vitro. Materials and methods. Evaluation of apoptosis induced by Corynebacterium diphtheriae,
Сorynebacterium pseudodiphtheriticum, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes strains was performed
by characteristic morphological changes in macrophages in smears stained by azure eosin by Romanovsky-
Giemsa. Results. Apoptogenic activity of diphtheria infectious agent was established to be determined by
diphtheria exotoxin at early (after 1 hour) and surface structures and pathogenicity enzymes at later (3 hours)
stages of effect. Conclusion. The ability of diphtheria infectious agent to cause macrophage apoptosis is one
of the mechanisms of realization of its pathogenic properties determined by the effect of diphtheria exotoxin,
as well as its surface structures and pathogenicity enzymes. The increase of apoptogenic activity of
toxigenic strains of С. diphtheriae in association with S. pyogenes may be a pathogenetic base of formation of
prolonged forms of bacteria carriage against the background of chronic ENT pathology.

diphtheria infectious agent, peritoneal macrophages, apoptosis