Inhibition of IL-17 production by selective cytokine neutralization.

<p><b>A</b>) Inhibition of IL-17 production by selected couples or cocktail of cytokine blocking antibodies. Naïve CD4⁺ T cells were activated with anti-CD3 coated beads and autologous DC at a cell ratio of 1∶4 in the presence of the indicated couples of cytokine-neutralizing antibodies, or of the respective control isotypes. The presence of IL-17 was analyzed in the supernatants of cell cultures after 6 days by ELISA. The effect of the control isotypes couples on IL-17 production was not significantly different from that of the control isotypes cocktail. The values represent the mean +/− SD of three independent experiments. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney test. * <i>p</i><0.05. <b>B</b>) Inhibition of IFN-γ and IL-23 production by selective IL-23/IL-12 neutralization as compared to the inhibition obtained with the complete neutralizing cocktail, including antibodies to the p40 subunit of IL-12 and IL-23, p19 (IL-23), IL-1β, TNF-α and IL-6. Th values represent the mean +/− SD of three independent experiments. Statistical analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney test. * <i>p</i><0.05.