Influenza infection was assessed through reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction and nasal levels of interferon-α2 and β were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.
We find that coculture of human PBMCs with inactivated whole influenza virus (A/Victoria/361/2011) in the presence of very low concentrations of IL-15 results in increased production of myeloid cell-derived cytokines, including IL-12, IFN-α2, GM-CSF, and IL-1β, and an increased frequency of polyfunctional NK cells (defined by the expression of two or more of CD107a, IFN-γ, and CD25).