title: Apoptosis of human retina and retinal pigment cells induced by human cytomegalovirus infection.
abstract: Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) retinitis is the most common ocular opportunistic infection in immunocompromised patients and AIDS. It often leads to blindness if left untreated. The question as to how HCMV infection causes retinal pathogenesis and visual destruction in AIDS patients remains unresolved. To answer the question, by using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end labeling assay, we detected the significant signals of apoptotic cells at the same sites in the HCMV-infected retina of AIDS patients as compared to AIDS patients without HCMV retinitis. In vitro study also revealed apoptosis induced by HCMV infection in human retinal pigment epithelium cells, mediated by activation of caspase 3 and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase pathway. These results strongly suggest the fundamental role of HCMV-induced apoptosis in mediating cell death in infected human retina and retinal pigment epithelium cells to make severe visual impairment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital and National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Shih-Hwa
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Jorn-Hon
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Steve S-L
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Wu-Tse
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Jung-Chung
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Wing-Wai
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: Wen-Ser
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: Ching-Kuang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.forename: Cheng-Yi
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Larry L-T
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Wen-Ming
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Hsu
mesh_terms: D017088:AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D017726:Cytomegalovirus Retinitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases / Q000378:metabolism; D012160:Retina / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D011065:Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerases; C505407:CASP3 protein, human; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases