Parasite-Specific IL-17-Type Cytokine Responses and Soluble IL-17 Receptor Levels in Alveolar Echinococcosis Patients
Figure 3
Echinococcus multilocularis antigen induced cellular production of soluble interleukin-17 receptor A (sIL-17RA) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from Alveolar Echinococcosis (AE) patients and infection-free controls (CTRL). Patients were grouped according to their state of infection, that is, cured, stable, or progressive (Prog.) Alveolar Echinococcosis. PBMCs from patients and controls were stimulated with E. multilocularis vesicle extract (EmV) for 24 (part a) and 48 hours (part b) or left without stimulation. Cytokine concentrations in cell culture supernatant were quantified by specific ELISA. The EmAg-induced cytokine production (Netto Prod.) was calculated by subtracting the cytokine production in not stimulated PBMC cultures from EmV-stimulated cytokine production. The cytokine production is shown as mean values in pg/mL with the 95% upper and lower confidence interval. The level of significance was adjusted by the Bonferroni-Holm method. The significant differences between groups are indicated (, , ).
