We have constructed anti-CD40 immunotoxins consisting of the single chain Fv (sFv) region of the anti-human CD40 mAb G28-5 fused to a truncated form of Pseudomonas exotoxin, PE40. CD40 is an integral membrane glycoprotein found on the surface of B-lineage cells, including lymphomas and leukemias, as well as certain carcinomas. Two forms of the immunotoxin were constructed, one with the light ch...

Although CD40 is expressed by several tumor lines and is up-regulated in tumor vascular endothelium, its role in tumor biology is still unclear. In the present study, we investigated the role of CD40 in the growth and vascularization of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS). In vitro, stimulation of CD40 induced migration of KS cells and inhibited vincristine-induced apoptosis. Similarly, the CD40 engagement o...

The CD154-CD40-mediated costimulatory pathway is critical for T-B cell cooperation in thymus-dependent (TD) immune response in mammals. However, little is known about its existence and occurrence in lower vertebrates. Here, we report on the identification and functional characterization of CD154 and CD40 homologs from the zebrafish (Danio rerio) model. Zebrafish CD154 is a type II membrane-boun...

BACKGROUND CD40 is an important costimulatory molecule in both cellular and humoral immune responses, involved in the pathogenic processes of chronic inflammatory diseases. Few studies were performed on the association of CD40 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. In this study, we studied whether the CD40-1C/T polymorphism had any effect on the pr...

The common denominator of arterial diseases is inflammation. Co-stimulatory molecules are essential to propagate and modulate immune reactions and thus the inflammatory response (1). In diseases such as atherosclerosis and restenosis, the co-stimulatory CD40-CD40L dyad plays a pivotal role. However, both CD40 and CD40L have Janus-faced properties. In the majority of studies, genetic or pharmaco...

CD40-CD40 ligand (CD40L) interaction is required for the generation of antibody responses to T-dependent antigens as well as for the development of germinal centers and memory B cells. The role of the CD40-CD40L interaction in the induction of antigen-specific. Th cells and in mediating Th cell effector functions other than cognate help for B cells is less well understood. Using CD40- and CD40L...

In polymyositis (PM)/dermatomyositis (DM), T cells infiltrate the muscle tissues and interact with muscle cells via cell surface molecules. Recently, myoblasts have been reported to express CD40, but little is known about the role of CD40 in myoblasts. In the present study we examined the expression and involvement of CD40 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) in the interaction between muscle cells and T ce...

PURPOSE CD40 antigen is a membrane receptor that plays a role in the regulation of immune reactions. The expressions of CD40 and CD40 ligand (CD40L) were investigated ex vivo and in vitro in conjunctival epithelial cells, in correlation with HLA DR class H antigen, previously shown to be upregulated in conjunctival inflammatory conditions. METHODS Impression cytology specimens were collected ...

Excessive apoptosis and prolonged inflammation of alveolar cells are associated with the pathogenesis of pulmonary emphysema. We aimed to determine whether CD40 affects alveolar epithelial cells and endothelial cells, with regard to evoking apoptosis and inflammation. Mice were repeatedly treated with agonistic-anti CD40 antibody (Ab), with or without agonistic-anti Fas Ab, and evaluated for ap...

Purpose To investigate the relationship between tumor-associated CD40 expression, RCC patient survival and tumor stage. The expression of CD40, TUNEL and CD8 in human renal cell carcinomas was analyzed by immunohisto-chemistry. Computer-assisted quantitation of protein expression was used to correlate results with patient survival and tumor stage. Results We show for the first time that tumor-a...