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Photodynamic therapy-mediated modulation of inflammatory cytokine production by Epstein–Barr virus-infected nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells

Cellular & Molecular Immunology volume 7, pages 323–326 (2010)Cite this article

Abstract

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant disease associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. This study aims to examine the effects of EBV infection on the production of proinflammatory cytokines in NPC cells after the Zn-BC-AM photodynamic therapy (PDT) treatment. Cells were treated with the photosensitiser Zn-BC-AM for 24 h before light irradiation. Quantitative ELISA was used to evaluate the production of cytokines. Under the same experimental condition, HK-1-EBV cells produced a higher basal level of IL-1α (1561 pg/ml), IL-1β (16.6 pg/ml) and IL-8 (422.9 pg/ml) than the HK-1 cells. At the light dose of 0.25–0.5 J/cm2, Zn-BC-AM PDT-treated HK-1-EBV cells were found to produce a higher level of IL-1α and IL-1β than the HK-1 cells. The production of IL-1β appeared to be mediated via the IL-1β-converting enzyme (ICE)-independent pathway. In contrast, the production of angiogenic IL-8 was downregulated in both HK-1 and HK-1-EBV cells after Zn-BC-AM PDT. Our results suggest that Zn-BC-AM PDT might indirectly reduce tumour growth through the modulation of cytokine production.

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Acknowledgements

This work was partly supported by the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong (HKBU2052/02M and HKBU2458/06M).

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Author notes

  1. Dr N K Mak, Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, 224, Waterloo Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. E-mail: nkmak@hkbu.edu.hk

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Hong Kong Baptist University, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Ho-Kee Koon, Ricky Ngok-Shun Wong & Nai-Ki Mak

  2. Department of Anatomical and Cellular Biology and State Key Laboratory in Oncology in South China, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Kwok-Wai Lo

  3. Department of Biochemistry and Food and nutritional Sciences Programme, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Kwok-Nam Leung

  4. Department of Biology, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong

    Maria Li Lung

  5. Department of Chemistry, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Kowloon, Hong Kong

    Chris Chi-Kwong Chang

  6. School of Chinese Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong

    Wing-Nang Leung

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  1. Ho-Kee Koon
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Koon, HK., Lo, KW., Leung, KN. et al. Photodynamic therapy-mediated modulation of inflammatory cytokine production by Epstein–Barr virus-infected nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells. Cell Mol Immunol 7, 323–326 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2010.4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/cmi.2010.4

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