Figure 3.

IL-6 Release Is Increased in BD Astrocytes in Response to Inflammatory Stimulus

(A) Representative images of time course of secreted IL-6 and IL-8 in the culture medium of control astrocytes stimulated with IL-1β at baseline (0), or 5 or 24 h. Blot intensity was quantified and plotted over time (arbitrary units, a.u.). Graphs show mean ± SEM for n = 3.

(B) Representative images showing the levels of cytokines in the culture medium of control and BD astrocytes 5 h after IL-1β stimulation. Quantification of IL-6 from cytokine array blots (normalized intensity, arbitrary units) in control and BD groups.

(C and D) (C) Quantification of percentage of IL-6-positive cells normalized to vehicle-stimulated cells (by subtraction) following a 5-h pretreatment with IL-1β or (D) TNF-α.

(E) Quantification of percentage of IL-8-positive cells (normalized to vehicle-stimulated cells) following a 5-h pretreatment with IL-1β. Graphs show mean ± SEM for control (n = 4) and BD (n = 6) repeated in duplicate. Significance was determined using the unpaired non-parametric Mann-Whitney one-tailed test, ^∗p < 0.05.

(F) IL-6 concentration measured in the blood of healthy controls (n = 90) or BD patients (n = 55). Significance was determined using Welsh's two-tailed test not assuming equal distribution, ^∗p < 0.05.