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Fig. 4 | Journal of Neuroinflammation

Fig. 4

From: Varicella zoster virus differentially alters morphology and suppresses proinflammatory cytokines in primary human spinal cord and hippocampal astrocytes

Fig. 4

Cytokines in VZV-infected quiescent primary human spinal cord (qHA-sps) and hippocampal (qHA-hps) astrocyte conditioned supernatants. At 3 days post-infection, supernatants from mock- and VZV-infected cells were analyzed for cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IFN-γ, and TNF-α) by Meso Scale Discovery multiplex assays (a). VZV/mock-infected qHA-sps (black bars) showed significant fold changes in IL-2 (0.74 ± 0.17), IL-4 (0.70 ± 0.1), IL-6 (0.60 ± 0.17), IL-12p70 (0.70 ± 0.1), and IL-13 (0.73 ± 0.11), while VZV/mock-infected qHA-sps (light gray bars) had only significantly reduced IL-8 levels (fold change 0.49 ± 0.12). VZV/mock-infected quiescent human primary perineurial cells (qHPNCs, dark gray bars) showed significant fold changes in IL-1β (5.31 ± 0.56), IL-2 (2.55 ± 0.74), IL-4 (2.09 ± 0.62), IL-6 (3.09 ± 0.27), IL-8 (6.11 ± 0.59), IL-10 (4.59 ± 1.21), IL-12p70 (2.1 ± 0.48), IL-13 (2.9 ± 0.18), IFN-γ (1.63 ± 0.27), and TNF-α (4.71 ± 1.17). Bar graphs represent mean ± SD fold change in cytokine levels normalized to respective mock groups (dashed line represents 1 or no change; n = 3). (b). Chemotaxis analysis to test the functional relevance of cytokines produced by VZV-infected qHA-sps or qHA-hps revealed no significant differences in the number of migrated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) as compared to that in their respective mock-infected conditioned supernatants. Positive controls VZV-infected HPNCs and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL-2) diluted in quiescent astrocyte medium (20 pg/mL) showed a significant increase in migrated PBMCs (5.24 ± 2.61 and 4.88 ± 1.22 respectively; n = 2). The negative control quiescent astrocyte medium only did not attract PBMCs. Bar graphs represent mean ± SD fold change in immune cell migration numbers compared to the respective mock groups (dashed line represents 1 or no change)

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