Circulating endotoxin levels correlates with the refractory state in CF patients.

<p>(<i>A</i>) Levels of LPS were tested by LAL kit endpoint-QCL1000 (see <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0029577#s4" target="_blank">Materials and Methods</a>) in plasma from controls (HC, n = 11), CF (n = 14), COPD (n = 8) and sepsis (n = 8) patients (*, <i>p</i><0.01). Circulating monocytes from healthy controls (HC, n = 11), CF patients (CF, n = 14), COPD patients (n = 8) and sepsis patients (n = 8) were isolated and cultured in presence of 10 ng/mL of LPS for 24 h (<i>B</i>), and 3 h (<i>C</i> and <i>D</i>). Next, levels of TNFα production were analysed by ELISA in the supernatant of cultures (<i>B</i>) or cells were harvested and mRNA of IL23p19 and IL10 were quantified by real time Q-PCR (<i>C</i> and <i>D</i>), (<i>B–D, insets</i>). Linear regression analysis was applied in each case to obtain best linear equation with CF only (R² is given).