[Fas antigen expression on human hematopoietic progenitor cells]

We investigated the expression of Fas(CD95) on hematopoietic progenitor cells. CD34+ cells freshly isolated from bone marrow did not express Fas. However, interferon-gamma(IFN-gamma) and/or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induced the expression of Fas after 48 hours of serum-free culture. The TNF-alpha-induced Fas expression is mediated by p55-TNF-alpha receptor. Human CD34+ cells expressed Fas following low dose ionizing radiation in a dose-dependent fashion. CD34+ cells isolated from bone marrow were cultured with hematopoietic growth factors for 7 days. CD34+ cells cultured with hematopoietic growth factors gradually became positive for Fas and rapidly lost Bcl-2 expression. Fas system is considered to play important roles at the level of hematopoietic progenitor cells in both physiologic and pathologic conditions.