Death-defining immune responses after apoptosis

Apoptosis is a programmed form of cell death whereby characteristic internal cellular dismantling is accompanied by the preservation of plasma membrane integrity. Maintaining this order during apoptosis prevents the release of cellular contents and ensures a noninflammatory death. Here, we consider examples of apoptosis in different contexts and discuss how the same form of cell death could have different immunological consequences. Multiple parameters such as cell death as a result of microbial infection, the nature of the inflammatory microenvironment, the type of responding phagocytic cells and the genetic background of the host organism all differentially influence the immunological consequences of apoptosis. This minireview summarizes the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis and focuses on how cell death in different contexts could initiate unique immunological consequences as it relates to infection and transplantation biology