Subgroup | Location shift,†95% CI | Significance level‡ | ||
Sy−/Se− (n=71) | Sy+/Se− (n=28) | |||
Median and range | Median and range | |||
Cytokines selected according to the a priori hypothesis | ||||
‘Allergy’ profile | ||||
IL-4 | 9.28 (4.52–14.44) | 9.80 (6.88–13.40) | 0.52 (−0.40 to 1.40) | ns |
IL-5 | 3.84 (0.80–15.84) | 4.72 (1.88–7.12) | 1.08 (0.24 to 1.76) | ** |
IL-13 | 16.68 (3.20–58.52) | 16.64 (10.40–28.20) | 0.28 (−1.92 to 2.72) | ns |
Eotaxin-1 | 46.00 (22.48–131.88) | 39.38 (30.40–89.48) | −4.04 (−9.48 to 1.08) | ns |
‘Irritation’ profile | ||||
IL-8 | 19.28 (8.24–54.36) | 22.78 (10.80–255.68) | −0.14 (−5.48 to 7.08) | ns |
IL-17A | 20.72 (6.80–213.56) | 40.16 (4.80–163.92) | 17.72 (7.68 to 27.52) | ** |
IL-17F | All concentrations less than the LOD | |||
IL-22 | 109/113 concentrations less than the LOD | |||
Cytokines selected for explorative analyses | ||||
Cytokines related to the ‘allergy’ profile | ||||
IL-9 | 33.68 (8.44–129.16) | 24.90 (11.28–136.00) | −7.36 (−12.24 to 2.52) | ** |
IL-33 | 106/114 concentrations less than LOD | |||
Cytokines related to the ‘irritation’ profile | ||||
IL-1β | 1.84 (0.44–12.08) | 2.32 (1.20–3.84) | 0.40 (0.08 to 0.72) | * |
TNF-α | 26.88 (5.60–116.80) | 24.24 (13.44–131.68) | −2.04 (−5.32 to 1.68) | ns |
IL-23 | 84/114 concentrations less than the LOD. Moreover, 16 of the 30 concentrations greater than the LOD were the same (196.8 pg/mL) | |||
IL-12 | 66.76 (4.40–200.84) | 41.08 (17.80–237.36) | −23.60 (−37.3 to –10.24) | ** |
IL-10 | 14.04 (3.60–269.00) | 8.86 (4.36–41.36) | −4.52 (−7.00 to –1.56) | ** |
MIP-1α | 4.84 (2.56–9.04) | 4.10 (2.80–7.04) | −0.52 (−0.92 to –0.04) | * |
MIP-1β | 102.28 (43.24–224.56) | 78.56 (33.88–239.32) | −21.04 (−38.2 to –5.64) | * |
Cytokines selected for comparison with the literature | ||||
IL-2 | 4.00 (4.00–265.64) | 6.92 (3.60–39.48) | −0.40 (−0.40 to 2.92) | ns |
IL-6 | 8.84 (2.52–84.16) | 9.76 (2.96–46.64) | 0.24 (−1.28 to 1.76) | ns |
IFN-γ | 229.88 (45.60–1534.64) | 248.10 (56.68–563.12) | 5.52 (−32.28 to 42.32) | ns |
†Location shift: value of subgroup Sy+/Se− minus Sy−/Se−. 95% CI: 95% confidence limits of the difference between both groups.
‡Significance level of difference (Wilcoxon two-sample test): ns, not significant; *p<0.05; **p<0.01; ***p<0.001; ****p<0.0001.
IFN-γ, interferon gamma; LOD, limit of detection; MIP-1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1; TNF-α, tumour necrosis factor alpha.