Release of cytokines after TLR stimulation in whole blood cultures was analyzed by ELISA.

<p>Diluted whole blood was left unstimulated or treated with Lipoteichoic acid (TLR2 ligand), Lipopolysaccharide (TLR4 ligand), or CpG-ODN (TLR9 ligand). Comparable total leukocyte numbers were cultured from both AAV patients and HC (data not shown). In patient cultures, spontaneous release of TNF-α was increased, but TNF-α release upon TLR4 triggering was decreased compared to HC. A trend towards increased release of IL-10 was observed in patient cultures upon TLR2 and TLR4 triggering (p = 0.09 and p = 0.06, respectively), although this did not reach statistical significance. Release of IL-6 and IL-8 was comparable in patient and HC cultures.