Quantitative real-time PCR for evaluating transcriptional changes in T-lymphocytes

The real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) is an indispensable technology that enables reliable transcriptional analysis routinely used in molecular biology studies. The qRT-PCR technique quantifies mRNA by taking advantage of the reverse transcriptase-dependent conversion of RNA into cDNA and subsequent amplification of the cDNA using PCR. The amount of PCR product is directly proportional to the initial starting quantity of mRNA. The straightforward but complex methodologies used in this technique involve multiple sequential steps that include isolation of mRNA, conversion of mRNA into cDNA, amplification of the cDNA, and quantification of amplicons. In this chapter, we describe an optimized protocol for performing qRT-PCR in human T-lymphocytes.