Time kinetics of gene expression in NK92 cells after Plasmodium falciparum-iRBC encounter

To study the effect of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes on gene expression in NK92 cells, microarray analysis after 6, 12 and 24 hours of co-culture with either uRBC or iRBC was performed. The aim was to identify pathways in NK92 cells that are switched on after iRBC encounter in a time-dependent manner that will help to understand the mechanisms in innate immune defenses against Plasmodium falciparum infection. Variation in gene expression of NK92 cells was determined after 6, 12, and 24 hours of co-culture with either infected or uninfected RBC compared to timepoint 0 (start of co-culture, untreated control). All experiments were done in triplicate, that means that samples were collected in 3 different experiments (A, B, and C) each time after 0, 6, 12 and 24 hours of co-culture.