DETECTION OF HUMAN INTERFERON-ALPHA-ENCODING GENE-EXPRESSION

We have devised a sensitive method based on the polymerase chain react ion (PCR) to detect expression of human interferon-alpha-encoding gene s (IFN-A) in general, and specifically. expression of the IFN-A2 or IF N-A4 genes. The utility of the PCR approach was assessed by analysis o f cloned IFN-A genes, as well as genomic DNA and mRNA isolated from pe ripheral blood mononuclear cells. We demonstrate the specific amplific ation of sequences encoding IFN subtypes IFN-alpha-2 and IFN-alpha-4 f rom as little as 0.1 pg of IFN-A mRNA. The PCR technique has potential clinical application for the detection of IFN-A expression and, thus, identification of the IFN-alpha subtypes produced, particularly in sm all biopsy samples or otherwise, where only low numbers of cells are a vailable.