Resistant or persistent reovirus infections: Of normal human embryonic lung fibroblast WI-38 cells

Reovirus is a common virus that usually affects children; this infection causes symptoms such as respiratory and or gastrointestinal aliments. Morbidity most often occurs in impoverished countries where supportive hospitalization is not available. In the U.S. and other established countries morbidity is not an issue. When WI-38 cells are infected with reovirus the infection is either resisted by the cells or a persistent latent infection occurs. In this study, gene expression was analyzed by comparing Reovirus-infected WI-38 cells with mock infected cells. P.R.O.M(TM) analysis was performed on RNA sent to Genka Biotechnology Inc. Bioinformatics was used to analyze the data. Reovirus infection of the WI-38 cells resulted in increased mRNA levels for a number of transcription regulatory genes, and possibly more significant, decreased mRNA levels for some very important regulatory genes. These changes may be responsible for establishing the antiviral replication environment observed in these normal cells.