Restoration of FAS-Mediated Apoptosis of Lymphocytes in Patients with Myocarditis by Specific Peptide Sequence of Human Alpha-Fetoprotein (AFP(13-19)).

Human alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is capable of modulating cellular proliferative processes. A study has been made of the regulatory properties of a synthetic peptide corresponding to the part of the human AFP molecule participating in receptor interaction, the peptide consisting of seven amino acids and having an amino acid sequence LDSYQCT. The study was carried out on the lymphocytes of the peripheral blood of six patients with immune myocarditis in the period of exacerbation of the illness. For such patients a marked increased level of expression of early activation antigens with parallel disturbance of the induction of Fas-mediated apoptosis is typical. It is shown that the peptide had hardly any effect on the expression of early markers of activation of CD23, CD25 and CD71 lymphocytes in the patients being observed. Due to the effect of the peptide, the expression of the late activation antigen HLA DR, greater in patients with immune myocarditis in the period of exacerbation of the illness, is significantly reduced from 15.36 +/- 1.77% to 9.21 +/- 1.46% (p < 0.05). To the contrary, the expression of a receptor of Fas-mediated apoptosis, reduced in the period of exacerbation of the illness, significantly increases under the effect of the peptide AFP(13-19) from 2.85 +/- 0.57% to 9.09 +/- 1.37% (p < 0.01). Thus, the use of the synthetic AFP fragment makes it possible to restore the normal level of the activation apoptosis of lymphocytes in vitro in the case of diseases, at the base of which lie a process of immune damage.