Figure 2. Circulating endotoxin levels correlates with the refractory state in CF patients.

(A) Levels of LPS were tested by LAL kit endpoint-QCL1000 (see Materials and Methods) in plasma from controls (HC, n = 11), CF (n = 14), COPD (n = 8) and sepsis (n = 8) patients (*, p<0.01). Circulating monocytes from healthy controls (HC, n = 11), CF patients (CF, n = 14), COPD patients (n = 8) and sepsis patients (n = 8) were isolated and cultured in presence of 10 ng/mL of LPS for 24 h (B), and 3 h (C and D). Next, levels of TNFα production were analysed by ELISA in the supernatant of cultures (B) or cells were harvested and mRNA of IL23p19 and IL10 were quantified by real time Q-PCR (C and D), (B–D, insets). Linear regression analysis was applied in each case to obtain best linear equation with CF only (R² is given).