Alveolar Epithelial Cell Injury with EBV Upregulates TGF-beta1 Expression

ABSTRACT: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a refractory and lethal interstitial lung disease characterized by alveolar epithelial cells apoptosis, fibroblast proliferation and extra-cellular matrix proteins deposition. Epstein - Barr virus (EBV) has previously been localised to alveolar epithelial cells of IPF patients. In this study we utilised a microarray based differential gene expression analysis strategy to identify potential molecular drivers of EBV associated lung fibrosis. We employed an alveolar epithelial cell line infected with EBV (A-Akata). Lytic phase infection induced in the A-Akata cells by TPA/BA treatment resulted in increase of TGFbeta1 and TIEG1 mRNA expression. Treatment of the A-Akata cells with ganciclovir, resulted in a down regulation of both TIEG1 and TGFbeta1 expression, accompanied by a suppression of the EBV early response genes, Rta and Zta. This suppression of cell turnover mediators was correlated with an increase in cell activity index. To identify a possible role for Rta in driving apoptotic gene expression, we inhibited the Rta gene expression by silencing RNA, resulting in a decrease in TGFbeta1 and TIEG1 expression. This study identifies an apoptotic role of the EBV early response genes, as enhancer factors of TIEG1 and TGFbeta1 in EBV infected alveolar epithelial cells, potentially providing a possible mechanism for the role of EBV infection in pulmonary fibrosis. Keywords: EBV lytic phase infection, epithelial cell apoptosis, oligonucleotide array analysis

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE5450 | GEO | 2006/08/04

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA95947

REPOSITORIES: GEO