3 research outputs found

    Human cytomegalovirus infection alters PC3 prostate carcinoma cell adhesion to endothelial cells and extracellular matrix.

    No full text
    The genome and antigens of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) are frequently found in prostatic carcinoma. However, whether this infection is causative or is an epiphenomenon is not clear. We therefore investigated the ability of HCMV to promote metastatic processes, defined by tumor cell adhesion to the endothelium and extracellular matrix proteins. Experiments were based on the human prostate tumor cell line PC3, either infected with the HCMV strain Hi (HCMV(Hi)) or transfected with cDNA encoding the HCMV-specific immediate early protein IEA1 (UL123) or IEA2 (UL122). HCMV(Hi) upregulated PC3 adhesion to the endothelium and to the extracellular matrix proteins collagen, laminin, and fibronectin. The process was accompanied by enhancement of beta(1)-integrin surface expression, elevated levels of integrin-linked kinase, and phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase. IEA1 or IEA2 did not modulate PC3 adhesion or beta(1)-integrin expression. Based on this in vitro model, we postulate a direct association between HCMV infection and prostate tumor transmigration, which is not dependent on IEA proteins. Integrin overexpression, combined with the modulation of integrin-dependent signalling, seems to be, at least in part, responsible for a more invasive PC3(Hi) tumor cell phenotype. Elevated levels of c-myc found in IEA1-transfected or IEA2-transfected PC3 cell populations might promote further carcinogenic processes through accelerated cell proliferation

    Tumor-Endothelium Cross Talk Blocks Recruitment of Neutrophils to Endothelial Cells: A Novel Mechanism of Endothelial Cell Anergy

    No full text
    AbstractTumor cells have evolved effective strategies to escape the host immune response. The objective of this study was to determine whether tumor cells can condition endothelial cells in a specific manner to prevent subsequent adhesion of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and/or peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and UKF-NB-4 neuroblastoma tumor cells were established in coculture on opposite sides of porous transwell filters. After 24 hours with and without HUVEC conditioning, PMNs or PBLs were added to the HUVEC monolayer. Adhesion to conditioned HUVEC versus adhesion to nonconditioned HUVEC was compared. Effects on endothelial CD44v4, CD44v5, CD44v7, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin, and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) adhesion receptor expression were analyzed by flow cytometry, intracellular signaling proteins of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway and protein kinase C (PKC) subtypes quantified by Western blot analysis. Endothelial conditioning led to a distinct reduction in PMN but not in PBL adhesion to HUVEC. CD44 was significantly reduced, whereas ICAM-1, E-selectin, and VCAM-1 were not altered during HUVEC conditioning. Antibody blockade against CD44v4, CD44v5, and CD44v7 inhibited PMN but not PBL binding. The observed effects were caused by direct tumor cell-HUVEC contact because addition of isolated tumor cell membrane fragments but not of soluble cell culture supernatant to HUVEC induced the CD44 receptor loss. PKCα activity was strongly enhanced in conditioned HUVEC. Blocking PKC prevented the reduction in PMN binding, indicating that this protein is involved in PMN adhesion regulation. A novel tumor escape strategy is presented here. Cell contact-dependent adhesion of tumor cells to the vascular wall promotes down-regulation of endothelial CD44 receptor expression, impairing an effective neutrophil attack
    corecore