Role of Fas ligand in apoptosis induced by hepatitis C virus infection.
Mita E., Hayashi N., Iio S., Takehara T., Hijioka T., Kasahara A., Fusamoto H., Kamada T.
To investigate the role that Fas ligand plays in the apoptosis of hepatocytes induced by hepatitis C virus infection, we isolated a cDNA clone for human Fas ligand and examined the expression of Fas ligand in liver-infiltrating mononuclear cells obtained from patients with chronic hepatitis C. The amino acid sequence of human Fas ligand showed 76% and 77% identity with those of rat and mouse Fas ligand, respectively. When the expression of Fas ligand transcripts was tested by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, the amplified signal was detected in liver-infiltrating mononuclear cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells, whereas only a weak signal or none at all was detected in liver tissues. These findings suggest that the Fas ligand-Fas antigen system may play an important role in liver cell injury by hepatitis C virus infection.
Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 204:468-474(1994) [PubMed] [Europe PMC]