FIGURE 1.

Exacerbated as well as stable COPD-derived PBMCs released high levels of IL-1α. Exacerbated and stable COPD patients-derived PBMCs were stimulated with an AIM2 ligand, Poly dA:dT (1 μg/ml) for 5 (A) and 24 h (B). The activation of AIM2 significantly increased the release of IL-1α after 5 h of treatment from exacerbation (black bars) (A), compared to stable COPD-derived PBMCs (red bars) (A). After 24 h of treatment, IL-1α levels were higher in stable (red bars) (B), compared to exacerbated patients (black bars) (B), both at baseline and after AIM2 triggering, although no statistical differences were noted. Data are represented as median ± interquartile range (n = 17). Statistically significant differences were determined by ONE-way ANOVA followed by Dunn’s post–test.