Researchers have identified a genetic signature due to the inflammatory response in cystic fibrosis human bronchial epithelial cells infected with P. aeruginosa bacterium.

In this study, the researchers aimed to identify the genes that either increased/decreased the quantity of cellular components of genetic material (upregulated/downregulated) in CF cells infected with P. aeruginosa. To proceed, the researchers first induced an infection with P. aeruginosa in human bronchial epithelial cells from healthy donors, utilized as controls, and then analyzed the genetic code at 2, 4, and 6 hours from the infection. The researchers then compared healthy cells with CF cells infected with P. aeruginosa at each time point of infection.

The results suggested that when compared to non-infected healthy cells, infected healthy cells displayed significant changes in gene activity more notable after 6 hours from induction of the infection. This mainly consisted in increasing of the quantities of cellular components of the genetic material (up regulation). But comparison of healthy versus CF cells both infected with P. aeruginosa showed either an increase or a decrease in levels of cellular components of genetic material (upregulation/downregulation). The latter are associated with phenomena like bindings within proteins or catalytic processes in gene and gene products. Furthermore, CF cells infected with P. aeruginosa induced increased levels of gene related protein products if compared to controls.

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