Assessing the ratio of lymphocyte proliferation and apoptosis in males with psychoactive substance abuse in the North of Russia

Usage of psychoactive substances may cause toxic encephalopathy, which contributes to the modulation of both innate and adaptive immune responses. The impact of psychoactive substances, including those illegal in Russia, upon immune homeostasis remains poorly studied, especially in northern regions with extreme climatic factors. With regard to medical and social consequences, attention is drawn to the rapidly increasing social maladaptation of young patients, as well as the manifestations of organic brain damage. This study is aimed at assessing the ratio of lymphocyte proliferation and apoptosis events in male subjects living in the Northern region of Russia suffering with toxic encephalopathy caused by psychoactive substances. The work included a comparative analysis of immunological parameters of peripheral blood determined in two groups of people living in the Northern region of the Russian Federation, i.e., twenty men with toxic encephalopathy (mean age 33.8±1.8 years) on the first day after severe poisoning with psychoactive substances versus 22 healthy volunteers (34.5±2.0 years, control group). Phenotyping of peripheral blood lymphocytes was performed by the method of indirect immunoperoxidase reaction with monoclonal antibodies. Statistical data processing was performed using SPSS 25.0. The results revealed a statistically significant (p < 0.01) increase in lymphocytes with the CD10⁺ marker in abusers of psychoactive substances (0.54 (0.40-0.75) × 10⁹ cells/L) compared to the control (0.27 (0.16-0.51) × 10⁹ cells/L), which indicates hyperproliferation of lymphocytes due to CD10⁺. At the same time, a low number of lymphocytes with the CD95⁺ marker was recorded in men with psychoactive substances abuse compared to the control group, thus reflecting the suppression of apoptosis. A two-fold increase in the CD10⁺/CD95⁺ ratio was established in men with psychoactive substances poisoning, demonstrating an imbalance in proliferative-apoptotic processes. A distinctive feature for men with toxic encephalopathy is an increased content of CD10⁺ cells that stimulate immune responses via the classical pathway, along with low concentration of lymphocytes with the CD95⁺ marker, which indicates an increased expenditure of the reserve capacity of immune homeostasis and their reduction. We have also revealed a moderate decrease in the levels of CD71 receptor expression on lymphocytes in males with psychoactive substances abuse. The data obtained indicate that in individuals with toxic encephalopathy in Northern Region, a disruption of both the long-term and short-term mechanisms for maintaining immune homeostasis is observed, being associated with an imbalanced ratio of lymphoproliferation and apoptosis processes.

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