IFN alpha-induced gene expression in human NK cells

NK cells are believed to contribute to the control of hepatitis C virus infection and pathogenesis of liver disease. Standard treatment of both acute and chronic hepatitis C is based on the administration of interferon alpha, however, the effects of type I interferons on human NK cells have not been studied in the context of hepatitis C. We therefore first performed a microarray screen for genes differentially regulated in human NK cells after stimulation of PBMC with recombinant interferon alpha-2b. One of the genes upregulated was TRAIL which was confirmed in vitro on the protein level.

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Stegmann KA, Björkström NK, Veber H, Ciesek S, Riese P, Wiegand J, Hadem J, Suneetha PV, Jaroszewicz J, Wang C, Schlaphoff V, Fytili P, Cornberg M, Manns MP, Geffers R, Pietschmann T, Guzmán CA, Ljunggren HG, Wedemeyer H