Plasma cytokine measurement
TNF-α
Baseline and post-infusion venous blood samples were taken from patients and processed for plasma. Plasma samples were stored at –80 °C until assays were performed. Plasma (25 µl) was analyzed for the following cytokines in singlicate: IFN-γ, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-1b, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α by multiplexed ELISA using the V-PLEX Plus Proinflammatory Panel 1 Human Kit (MSD) and conducted according to the manufacturer’s guidelines under Good Clinical Laboratory Practice (GCLP).