Obesity Exacerbates the Cytokine Storm Elicited by Francisella tularensis Infection of Females and Is Associated with Increased Mortality

Figure 6

Leptin enhances inflammatory cytokine production by F. tularensis-infected macrophages. Macrophages were exposed to leptin prior to, during, and after infection with F. tularensis LVS and the production of IL-6 measured as an indicator of inflammation (p=0.03 by Mann–Whitney t-test).