Gene expression of immune-related genes in peripheral blood of children with Down syndrome

To identify differentially expressed genes that might be of pathogenetic importance for the development of the immunological alterations observed in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) we profiled the expression pattern of 92 immune-related genes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of two different groups, children with DS and control children. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells samples were obtained from six healthy individuals with karyotypically confirmed full trisomy 21 and six healthy control individuals (ages 2-6 years). Gene expression was profiled in duplicate according to the manufacturer’s instructions provided by commercially available TaqMan® Human Immune Array representing 92 immune function genes and four reference genes on a 96-plex gene card.