Evidence for trans regulation of apoptosis in intertypic somatic cell hybrids

Differential sensitivity of human papillomavirus type 16(+) and type 18(+) cervical carcinoma cells to CD95-mediated apoptosis

When cervical carcinoma cells were monitored for apoptotic signals, HPV18(+) lines were found to be highly sensitive to agonistic CD95 antibodies or recombinant CD95 ligands after co-exposure with CHX (CD95(S)). In contrast, HPV16(+) cervical carcinoma cells and HPV16-immortalized non-malignant human keratinocytes were CD95-resistant (CD95(R)) under equivalent conditions. Somatic cell hybridization between CD95(S) and CD95(R) cervical carcinoma cell lines revealed that CD95 sensitivity was a dominant trait, which could be correlated with abundant c-Myc and low Bcl-X(L) expression. Although CD95(R) cervical carcinoma cells expressed even higher levels of p53 and CD95 receptor at the surface, resistance could be attributed to the inability to form a functional DISC, necessary for successful transmission of the apoptogenic response. These data indicate that resistance to apoptotic stimuli represents an important immunological escape mechanism during virus-induced carcinogenesis.

Apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinoma and in liver cell dysplasia is correlated with p53 protein immunoreactivity

AIMS

To investigate the prevalence of apoptosis in human hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) of different types and grades and in liver cell dysplasia, and to test whether the apoptotic rate is correlated with the p53 protein status.

METHODS

37 HCC and 66 six liver samples with liver cell dysplasia were analysed for apoptosis using in situ DNA end labelling (ISEL), and for p53 protein expression by immunohistochemistry. In HCCs, proliferative activity was quantitatively assessed using proliferating cell nuclear antigen labelling.

RESULTS

The apoptotic index in HCC as based on ISEL ranged from 0.1 to 13.5 per 1000 cells analysed and was not related to type or grade. No nuclear staining was observed in multinuclear tumour cells. There was a significant correlation between the apoptotic rate and both the proliferative activity and p53 protein reactivity. In liver samples containing p53 protein positive liver cell dysplasia cells, there was a significantly higher apoptotic rate of these cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Apoptosis is detectable in HCC, and is not related to type and grade. There is a highly significant positive correlation between the apoptotic rate in HCC and both the proliferative activity and p53 protein expression. A similar phenomenon occurs for putative cancer precursors. The findings support the role of p53 in regulating apoptosis in preneoplastic and neoplastic liver lesions.