Figure 7.

In vitro Fas triggering with agonist anti-Fas mAb induces apoptosis in HAM/TSP and activates a molecular network linking apoptosis, proliferation and inflammation. (A) Agonist (ago) anti-Fas mAb, but not antagonist (ant) anti-Fas mAb increased apoptosis (quantified by CellDeathPlus ELISA) in PBMC upon in vitro treatment for 24 h when compared to control (untreated) PBMC. Treatment with anti-CD3 mAb was used as a positive control (ANOVA, with Bonferroni’s post-test *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01). (B) Top molecular network (score = 34, linking cell-to-cell signaling, interaction, and cellular growth and proliferation) identified by Ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) among 249 genes significantly up- and downregulated (red and green, respectively) in PBMC of HAM/TSP patients by in vitro treatment with agonist anti-Fas mAb.