METHODS AND REAGENTS THAT SPECIFICALLY DETECT, DISTINGUISH AND QUANTIFY IFN-LAMBDA2 mRNA FROM IFN-LAMBDA3 mRNA IN HUMANS

A method of quantifying IFN-λ3 mRNA but not IFN-λ2 mRNA in a biological sample in humans, comprising the steps of:

• a) obtaining a biological sample from a human, said biological sample is suspected of having IFN-λ3 mRNA;
• b) isolating mRNA from said biological sample;
• c) performing a reverse transcription reaction to convert said mRNA to cDNA;
• d) performing a qRT-PCR on said cDNA using an IFN-λ3-specific primer set, said IFN-λ3 specific primer set containing a forward primer and a reverse primer, wherein said forward primer consisting of SEQ ID NO:
• 10, and said reverse primer consisting of SEQ ID NO:
• 11 to yield an amplification product, wherein said IFN-λ3-specific primer set amplifies under conditions suitable for amplification of nucleic acid sequence of IFN-λ3 mRNA and not IFN-λ2 mRNA;
• and
• e) quantifying said amplification product to determine the expression level of the IFN-λ3 mRNA.