Figure 4.

Echinococcus multilocularis antigen induced cellular production of soluble interleukin-17 receptor B (sIL-17RB) by PBMC 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 Echinococcus multilocularis vesicle extract (EmV) (a) and single-cell extract (EmZ) (b) for 24 and 48 hours or left unstimulated. Cytokine concentrations in cell culture supernatant were determined by specific ELISA. The EmAg-induced cytokine production (Netto Prod.) was calculated by subtracting the cytokine production in not stimulated PBMC (Baseline) cultures from EmV-stimulated cytokine production (Brutto 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 (*P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, and ***P < 0.001).