title: CD40 signaling activated by Epstein-Barr virus promotes cell survival and proliferation in gastric carcinoma-derived human epithelial cells.
abstract: CD40 signaling plays a critical role in the survival and proliferation of EBV-infected lymphocytes. Here we show that CD40 is constitutively expressed in the human gastric carcinoma-derived cell lines AGS, MKN28, and MKN74, and expression of CD40L is induced by in vitro infection with EBV. Blocking the interaction between CD40 and CD40L with CD40Ig, a fusion protein of CD40 and IgG, impaired proliferation of EBV-infected AGS cells and enhanced their calcium ionophore-induced apoptosis. These results suggest that CD40 signaling plays a critical role in the survival and proliferation of EBV-infected epithelial cells, as well as in the virus-infected lymphocytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo 157-8535, Japan.
authors.forename: Ken-Ichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Imadome
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Misako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yajima
authors.forename: Ken
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: Shigeyoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fujiwara
mesh_terms: D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D023201:CD40 Ligand / Q000096:biosynthesis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002470:Cell Survival; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000502:physiology* / Q000821:virology*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D019013:CD40 Antigens; D023201:CD40 Ligand