title: Differential effects of BAFF on B cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia and Burkitt lymphoma.
abstract: B cell-activating factor belonging to the tumor necrosis factor superfamily (BAFF) is a crucial factor for B cell development and is involved in the survival of malignant B cells, but its effect on B cell precursors (BCPs) remains unclear. We investigated BCP acute lymphoblastic leukemia (-ALL) cells for BAFF receptor (-R) expression and compared the effect of BAFF on BCP-ALL cells and Burkitt lymphoma (BL) cells. Expression of BAFF-R was detected in some cell lines and some clinical specimens of both BL and BCP-ALL. BAFF acted on both BL and BCP-ALL cells and promoted proliferation by both. BAFF also inhibited apoptosis by BL cells induced by cross-linking of cell surface molecules and anticancer drugs, but failed to inhibit apoptosis by BCP-ALL cells. BAFF induced prompt and obvious activation of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway in BL cells, but only weak and delayed activation of the pathway in BCP-ALL cells. The results of this study indicate that some BCP-ALL cells and some BL cells express BAFF-R, but that the effects of BAFF on BCP-ALL cells are different from its effects on mature B cell malignancies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Research, National Research Institute for Child Health and Development, 2-10-1 Okura, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 157-8535, Japan.
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Onda
authors.forename: Kazutoshi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iijima
authors.forename: Yohko U
authors.initials: YU
authors.lastname: Katagiri
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okita
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: Toshiaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Nobutaka
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kiyokawa
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D053265:B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D002051:Burkitt Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D019013:CD40 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015973:Gene Expression Regulation, Leukemic; D006801:Humans; D015452:Precursor B-Cell Lymphoblastic Leukemia-Lymphoma / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D054448:Precursor Cells, B-Lymphoid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
chemical_list: D053264:B-Cell Activating Factor; D053265:B-Cell Activation Factor Receptor; D019013:CD40 Antigens