HiSeq analysis of human gene expression profile following infection with highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (H5N1; A/Chicken/Vietnam/0008/04)

Current prophylactic and therapeutic strategies targeting human influenza viruses include vaccines and antivirals. Given variable rates of vaccine efficacy and antiviral resistance, alternative strategies are urgently required to improve disease outcomes. Here we describe the use of HiSeq deep sequencing to analyze host gene expression in primary human alveolar epithelial type II (ATII) cells infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 virus. We employed primary human ATII cells isolated from normal human lung tissue donated by patients that underwent lung resection. Human host gene expression following HPAI H5N1 virus (A/Chicken/Vietnam/0008/04) infection of primary ATII cells was analyzed using Illumina HiSeq deep sequencing. Human non-tumor lung tissue samples were donated by three anonymous patients undergoing lung resection at Geelong Hospital, Barwon Health, Australia. The research protocols and human ethics were approved by the Human Ethics Committees of Deakin University, Barwon Health and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO). An informed consent was obtained from all tissue donors. All research were performed in accordance with the guidelines stated in the National Statement on Ethical Conduct in Human Research (2007). The sampling of normal lung tissue was confirmed by the Victorian Cancer Biobank, Australia.