Figure 7.
Exposure of cultured HSNECs to IL-4 decreases expression of TLR9 protein and surfactant protein A mRNA. Cultured HSNEC from 10 subjects were exposed to IL-4 at the ALI for 36 hours and then processed for mRNA extraction. Real-time PCR was used to assess expression of surfactant protein A and TLR9 mRNA before and after IL-4 exposure. Expression of both innate immune genes was reduced, with TLR9 reaching statistical significance (p = 0.01, Wilcoxon signed rank). Columns represent means ± standard error of the mean.