Figure 1.
Baseline cytokine profiles of cultured bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells from patients and control subjects. Cells obtained during BAL from patients with and without sarcoidosis were washed twice with phosphate-buffered saline, counted, and cultured in a density of 106 cells per well in complete media containing 1% serum to decrease effects of growth factors on cytokine response. After 16 hours, spontaneous release of cytokines from BAL cells was measured in supernatants via ELISA for (A) tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, (B) IL-1β, (C) IL-6, and (D) IL-12/IL23p40. Data are presented as mean ± SEM of 24 patients and 10 control subjects, each measured in triplicate. Using analysis of variance Mann-Whitney U test *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.001. Statistically significant differences were found for TNF-α (P < 0.05), and for IL-1β, IL-6, and IL12/IL23p40 (P < 0.001).