Figure Legends
Figure 1 – Serum cytokine concentrations in allergen-sensitized subjects vs. controls. IL-26 (A) and IL-17A (B) serum concentrations were measured by ELISA in both non-allergen-sensitized and allergen-sensitized study subjects (n = 17 and n = 60, respectively). Statistical significance was assessed using the Mann-Whitney test. Error bars represent mean ± SEM. Dashed horizonal line represents the lower limit of detection of the ELISA assay.
Figure 2 – Serum cytokine concentrations in subjects with and without specific allergic manifestations. Serum concentrations of IL-26 and IL-17A were measured by ELISA in both non-allergen-sensitized and allergen-sensitized study subjects (n = 17 and n = 60, respectively). Comparisons were made in subjects with or without asthma (A-B), current or prior eczema (C-D), allergic rhinitis (E-F), and a history of one or more food allergies (G-H). Statistical significance was assessed using the Kruskal-Wallis test for multiple comparisons. Error bars represent mean ± SEM. Dashed horizonal line represents the lower limit of detection of the ELISA assay.
Figure 3 – Serum IL-26 concentrations correlate with serum IL-17A in allergen-sensitized subjects. Serum concentrations of IL-26 and IL-17A were measured by ELISA in allergen-sensitized subjects. Concentrations of each cytokine were plotted relative to each other for (A) all allergen-sensitized subjects (n = 60) or (B) limited to only allergen-sensitized subjects with asthma (n = 51). Statistical significance was assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient.
Figure 4 – Serum IL-26 concentrations correlate with Asthma Control Test (ACT) Score in allergen-sensitized subjects. Serum concentrations of IL-26 were measured by ELISA in allergen-sensitized subjects with asthma (n = 51) and plotted relative to ACT scores. Statistical significance was assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient.
Figure 5 – Increasing serum IL-26 concentrations correlate with surrogate markers of asthma severity in allergen-sensitized subjects. Serum concentrations of IL-26 were measured by ELISA in allergen-sensitized subjects with asthma (n = 51). (A) IL-26 concentrations were plotted relative to each subject’s daily inhaled corticosteroid dose. Statistical significance was assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. (B) IL-26 concentrations were compared between subjects who had no prior hospitalizations vs. one or more hospitalizations for asthma in the 12 months preceding study enrolment. (C) IL-26 concentrations were compared between subjects who had received no oral steroid vs. those receiving one or more courses of oral steroids in the 12 months preceding study enrolment. (B-C) Statistical significance was assessed using the Mann-Whitney test. Error bars represent mean ± SEM. Dashed horizonal line represents the lower limit of detection of the ELISA assay.