title: Induction of CD95 (Fas) and apoptosis in respiratory epithelial cell cultures following respiratory syncytial virus infection.
abstract: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection is associated with epithelial cell death and vigorous inflammation. In mouse models, and in immunosuppressed patients, CD8(+) T cells are necessary for RSV clearance. In vitro, RSV has been shown to induce expression of several proteins on the respiratory epithelial cell, including RSV proteins, ICAM-1, and MHC class I, that can potentially interact with CD8(+) T cells in initiating apoptosis of the target cell. One mechanism of T-cell-directed cell death is the interaction of FasL on the CD8(+) T lymphocytes and Fas expressed on the target cell. In order to determine the ability of RSV to induce Fas on the respiratory epithelium, we studied the RSV infection of a human respiratory epithelial cell line (A549) in vitro. Fas mRNA and protein levels are increased two-to-fourfold following RSV infection, and transcriptional upregulation of Fas was demonstrated using promoter/reporter gene constructs. RSV infection directly resulted in cellular apoptosis, and the frequency of apoptotic cells was further increased by cross-linking with antibodies to Fas. These data demonstrate that RSV infection induces cellular apoptosis and suggest that interactions of surface Fas with T cells may further augment this process in vivo.
authors: Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Children's Hospital Medical Center, 3333 Burnet Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio, 45229-3039, USA.
authors: D R
authors: DR
authors: O'donnell
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Milligan
authors: J M
authors: JM
authors: Stark
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D012136:Respiratory Syncytial Viruses; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014709:Vero Cells; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019014:fas Receptor; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1