[Role of apoptosis in autoimmune thyroid disorders]

Apoptosis, programmed cell death, is a physiological phenomenon, necessary for normal function of every organism. This is an active process, per-current with a participation of the cellular metabolism embracing the activation of genes and the synthesis of proteins. The signal to apoptosis can be started practically in every cell of our organism. Disturbances of the apoptosis regulation determine the essential link of the pathogenesis of many diseases, including autoimmune thyroid disorders. Such molecules as FasL, TNF (tumor necrosis factor), TRAIL (the ligand inducing apoptosis), inducing different apoptotic pathway can play the key-role in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease or Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Besides in the destructive thyroiditis an important role is also played by proteins from the bcl-2 family and the proinflammatory cytokines. The aim of this publication is to present the influence of different factors on the apoptosis and the role of programmed cells death in autoimmune thyroid diseases.