FIG. 6.

HSV-1 increases IL-15 mRNA levels in PBMC. (A) Four million PBMC were incubated with HSV-1. Total RNA was extracted from the PBMC at the indicated time points, reverse transcribed, and used in PCR for amplification of the IL-15 or β-actin cDNA segments as described in Materials and Methods. The PCR products were validated on Southern blots using gene-specific ³²P-labeled probes. The amplified transcripts from the PBMC of two different donors (1 and 2) are shown. The bands in rows A and B show RT-PCR products of IL-15 and β-actin, respectively. Lanes a to d represent 0, 4, 8, and 12 h of incubation with the virus. (B) Densitometric analysis of the IL-15 transcripts expressed as a ratio with β-actin transcripts at different time points after incubation of the PBMC with HSV-1.