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. 2016 Dec 30;4(24):e13057. doi: 10.14814/phy2.13057

Figure 1.

Figure 1

Cigarette smoking leads to an increase in pulmonary B‐cell activating factor (BAFF) levels with pulmonary macrophages as a major source. Female BALB/c mice were exposed to room air (RA) or cigarette smoke (CS or Cig. Smoke) for 4 days, 8 weeks, or 24 weeks. (A) BAFF expression in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). Data show mean ± SEM, n = 5/group. (B and C) Representative western blots and quantification of BAFF protein expression in whole lung homogenates and pulmonary macrophage lysates following 4 days of CS exposure. (D) BAFF localization was assessed by immunohistochemistry in the lungs of mice exposed to RA or CS for 4 days. (E) mRNA levels were assessed in resected lung tissues from nonsmokers (NonSm), active smokers (ActSm), and ex‐smokers (ExSm) using gene arrays. (F) BAFF protein levels were measured by ELISA in the BALF of nonsmokers and current smokers. *P < 0.05; ***P < 0.001.