CD40 ligand incorporated into the HIV envelope and expression of activation-induced cytidine deaminase may help explain the relationship between HIV load and Burkitt lymphoma.
Culture of group I BL lines with CD40L resulted in significant growth arrest (without apoptosis) that, for L3055 cells, was sustained for 7 to 9 days after 72 hours of exposure.
Coculture of Ramos Burkitt's lymphoma line cells with irradiated SAg-reactive CD4+ T cells with SAg or CD40L+ Jurkat T cells results in B cell apoptosis, evidenced by reduced cell viability and DNA laddering.