Apoptosis of phagocyte cells in bcg vaccination and revaccinations

The special apoptosis features of phagocytic cells were studed in 40 Balb/c line mouse, who were BCG-vaccinated for one-, binary- and three times. On the 30th day after the last dose of vaccine the content of apoptic neutrophils in the peripheral blood was determined, the intensity of spontaneous apoptosis of blood neutrophils and peritoneal macrophages, the effect of autologic serum on apoptosis of blood neutrophils and peritoneal macrophages, the bacterial load of macrophages by native and opsonized mycobacteria and apoptosis of macrophages induced by native and opsonized mycobacteria were detected. It was found that increase of the BCG-vaccination multiplicity caused a more severe bacterial load of phagocytes and intencification of their programmed cell death that did not lead to a decrease оf these cells number, promoted the formation of long-term mycobacterial persistence and the maintenance of post-vaccination immunity.