Human chromosome 21 dosage: effect on the expression of the interferon induced antiviral state.

Human primary skin fibroblasts trisomic for chromosome 13, 18, or 21 and diploid human skin fibroblasts were induced for an antiviral response with human interferon. The cells that were trisomnic for chromosome 21 were three to seven times more sensitive to protection by human interferon than the normal diploid or trisomic 18 or 13 fibroblasts. The differential response in trisomnic 21 cells is consistent with the known assignment of the human antiviral gene to chromosome 21.