American journal of physiology. Lung cellular and molecular physiology
-
Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. · Aug 2007
Induction of cell cycle arrest and apoptosis by BCG infection in cultured human bronchial airway epithelial cells.
Bronchial airway epithelial cells (BAEpC) are among the first cells to encounter M. tuberculosis following airborne infection. However, the response of BAEpC to M. tuberculosis infection has been little studied. This study investigates the response of a human BAEpC cell line (BEAS-2B) to infection with Mycobacterium bovis Bacille Calmette Guerin (BCG). ⋯ Partial blockade of Fas or FADD expression results in a decreased apoptotic response to BCG infection. In conclusion, BCG induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in BEAS-2B cells. BCG induced apoptosis of BEAS-2B cells via the Fas death receptor pathway.