Description

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.

Publication Title

Interferon-alpha-induced TRAIL on natural killer cells is associated with control of hepatitis C virus infection.

Sample Metadata Fields

Sex, Specimen part, Treatment