title: Hepatitis C virus core protein does not inhibit apoptosis in human hepatoma cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Viral persistence is a major problem after infection with the hepatitis C virus. Recently, it has been reported that hepatitis C virus core protein inhibits cis-platin induced apoptosis in human cervical carcinoma cells and apoptosis induced by overexpression of c-myc in Chinese hamster ovary cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study investigated whether different variants of hepatitis C virus core or E2 protein interfere with tumour necrosis factor alpha or Fas (CD95/ APO-1) antibody-induced programmed cell death in transiently transfected human hepatoma (HepG2) cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While neither full length or C-terminally truncated variants of hepatitis C virus core protein nor hepatitis C virus E2 protein inhibited tumour necrosis factor alpha- or Fas antibody-induced apoptosis, a strong inhibition was observed with the cowpox virus cytokine response modifier A protein.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Thus, it is unlikely that hepatitis C virus core or E2 protein inhibit apoptosis mediated by apoptosis-signalling pathways sensitive to cytokine response modifier A protein. Discrepancies to previous reports probably reflect specific effects of hepatitis C virus core protein on different apoptotic pathways and/ or cell lines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: F L
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Dumoulin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: vsn dem Bussche
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Söhne
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sauerbruch
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Spengler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D016466:CHO Cells; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; D006224:Cricetinae; D003513:Cycloheximide / Q000494:pharmacology; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D016259:Genes, myc; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D014758:Viral Core Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014758:Viral Core Proteins; D019014:fas Receptor; C069130:nucleocapsid protein, Hepatitis C virus; D003513:Cycloheximide