Th17-cytokine cytokine expression in the liver of mice during <i>E. multilocularis</i> infection.

<p>(A). Expression of IL-17 at day 90. IL-17 was present in most of the infiltrating lymphocytes of areas with inflammatory granulomas, in the cytoplasm of hepatocytes, endothelial cells of the hepatic sinusoids and fibroblasts (<i>arrow</i> indicates the area also shown at high magnification). (B). Expression scores of IL-17, calculated from quantitative analysis of the histo-immunostaining using both staining intensity and the percentage of cells stained at a specific range of intensities (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0091638#s4" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a> section). (C). Course of IL-17A, and (D) of IL-17F gene expression in the liver of mice during <i>E. multilocularis</i> infection (measured by q RT-PCR). a: ‘Parasitic lesion’ versus ‘Control’; b: ‘Periparasitic liver tissue’versus ‘Control’. *<i>P</i><0.05; **<i>P</i><0.01. ‘Control’, non-infected mice; ‘Parasitic lesion’: <i>E. multilocularis</i> metacestode and surrounding immune infiltrate; ‘Periparasitic liver tissue: liver parenchyma close to the <i>E. multilocularis</i> lesion, but excluding macroscopically visible liver tissue alterations. AU: arbitrary units.