Fig. 3

EDIII-D3 TMC NPs treatment induces the expression of cytokines and chemokines by HNEpCs. Cultures of HNEpCs were treated with TMC NPs (25, 75, 112.5 μg) or EDIII-D3 TMC NPs (25, 75, 112.5 μg) or 25 μg of sEDIII-D3. Aliquots of supernatant were harvested at 24 and 48 h of treatment. Cytokines and chemokines were quantitated using Bio-Plex bead-based assay as well as IFN-α ELISA assay. The mean production of proinflammatory cytokines (a), antiviral cytokine and growth factors (b), chemokines (c), Th1- and Th2-related cytokines (d) are presented. All values are expressed in pg/ml. The experiment was performed in three independent replicates. *, ** and *** indicate significant differences between the amounts of cytokines measured for 25, 75 and 112.5 μg of EDIII-D3 TMC NPs and TMC NPs (P <0.05). ^# indicates significant differences between 25 μg of sEDIII-D3 and mock-treated cultures (P <0.05). Medium, TMC NPs (25 μg), TMC NPs (75 μg), TMC NPs (112.5 μg), EDIII-D3 TMC NPs (25 μg), EDIII-D3 TMC NPs (75 μg), EDIII-D3 TMC NPs (112.5 μg) and sEDIII-D3 (25 μg)