FIG. 1.

Morphology and cytokine secretion of TERT-immortalized gingiva keratinocytes are similar to primary gingiva keratinocytes. Primary and immortalized human gingiva keratinocytes grown under conventional submerged culture conditions. (A) Phase contrast images of primary (KC-Prim), TERT-immortalized (KC-TERT), and HPV-immortalized (KC-HPV) human gingiva keratinocytes. (B) Secretion of IL-1α, IL-18, and CXCL8 by gingiva keratinocytes into culture supernatants over a 24-h culture period. Results are from four individual donors for KC-Prim and six different passages between passage 30 and 50 for the immortalized gingiva keratinocytes KC-TERT and KC-HPV; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; Kruskal–Wallis test.