The APACHE II scores correlated with the numbers of CD14+CD163+CD115+ (<i>R</i> = 0.4581, <i>P</i> = 0.0244) monocytes and the levels of plasma IL-10 (<i>R</i> = 0.4178, <i>P</i> = 0.0422) in the MAP patients.
Contrary to this, TNF-α levels were unchanged upon MAP stimulation regardless of NOD2 genotype and MAP solely activated NOD2- and Toll-like receptor (TLRs)-pathway with an enhanced production of interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-10.
This correlation was confirmed subsequently by measuring the expression levels of cytokines (IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12 and IFN-gamma) in the mutant and wild type moDCs (mocyte derived dendritic cells) after challenge with MAP cell lysate or LPS.