Background: Human cornea expresses functional Fas-ligand capable of killing Fas+ activated lymphocytes. Fas expression is partly regulated by -670 A/G polymorphism in the promoter region of Fas gene. Objective: The aim of the present study is to determine the association between Fas-670A/G polymorphism and survival of corneal transplantation. Methods: In 276 graft recipients who mainly underwen...

The plasma levels of soluble antiapoptotic Fas (sFas) and proapoptotic Fas-ligand (sFasl) proteins were studied in heart transplant recipients at one-month follow-up. The patients were treated with Neoral (n=18) or Tacrolimus (n=12) and concomitant immunosuppressive drugs. The sFas and sFasl levels were detected by ElISA. The values were related to treatment with Neoral or Tacrolimus in stable ...

The Fas receptor rapidly induces apoptosis when activated by ligand binding or by cross-linking with anti-Fas antibody. The Fas ligand (FasL), a member of the tumor necrosis factor family of ligands, is a 40-kilodalton type II transmembrane protein which is cleaved to produce soluble ligand. Although the Fas-FasL interaction plays a critical role in peripheral T cell homeostasis and cytotoxic T...

The clinical efficacy of the CD20-specific chimeric monoclonal antibody rituximab is significantly hampered by intrinsic or acquired resistance to therapy. Rituximab activates antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity/complement-dependent cytotoxicity-dependent lysis but also induces apoptosis by cross-linking of its target antigen CD20. Recent reports indicate that this apoptotic activity of ri...

cDNAs of various lengths encoding the second domain of the multifunctional fatty acid synthase (FAS) have been expressed in Escherichia coli and the recombinant proteins refolded in vitro to catalytically active monomeric malonyl-/acetyltransacylases. FAS residues 428-487, previously thought to represent the amino terminus of the malonyl-/acetyltransacylase, can be omitted from the recombinant ...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES To investigate the relationship between inflammatory and apoptotic parameters and the severity and extent of target organ damage in patients with essential hypertension. METHODS We studied 159 consecutive patients with treated essential hypertension. An exhaustive evaluation of damage to heart, kidney, and blood vessels was performed and plasma levels of inflammato...

To obtain a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in the up-regulation of the Fas apoptotic signaling cascade induced by P. aeruginosa type III secretion system (TTSS), human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) were infected with P. aeruginosa PAO-1 or its TTSS-negative mutant PAO-1::exsA. PAO-1 was significantly more cytotoxic than the mutant and features of apoptosis (DNA fragm...

OBJECTIVE Fas/APO-1 (CD95) and Fas Ligand (FasL) is a major mediator system that activates programmed cell death (apoptosis) and is most important for pulmonary cellular homeostasis. Another form of Fas, circulating soluble Fas (sCD95), produced by alternative mRNA splicing antagonizes the cell-surface Fas function. It was the aim of the study to test the hypothesis that the Fas/FasL system is ...