Figure 7
From: Relation of exaggerated cytokine responses of CF airway epithelial cells to PAO1 adherence
Cartoon comparing CF and non-CF epithelial cell responses to P. aeruginosa and illustrating two hypotheses to explain the increased cytokine response from CF airway epithelial cells. Bacterial adherence to the cell stimulates an intracellular signaling cascade. CF cells produce more IL-8 and IL-6 than non-CF cells. In the first hypothesis, increased bacterial adherence to the CF cell leads to increased signal, with consequent increase in IL-8 and IL-6 secretion. In the second hypothesis, the CF cell responds to each binding event with amplification of the signal compared to non-CF cells, and increased IL-8 and IL-6 secretion.