The flow-through (negatively selected) elute was collected

in a tube and then the column was removed from the magnetic field and washed again in wash buffer to obtain the positively selected CD14+ cells. Aliquots of the cells were stained for surface markers (CD3-FITC and CD14-PE to examine the efficiency/purity of the separation technique using a flow cytometer (FACScan, BD Biosciences, USA) and the purity of the samples was routinely greater than 95%. Following MACS separation, RNA was extracted from both positively selected macrophages (CD14+) and negatively selected (CD14−) cells and cDNA was synthesized as described below for analysis by real-time PCR. A sample of unstimulated leukocytes were taken on blood drawing using the PAXgene Blood RNA System (Qiagen, Dusseldorf, Germany) for click here RNA extraction, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For MACS-separated PBMC, unstimulated leukocytes were lysed immediately after purification Smoothened Agonist clinical trial and washing in PBS the RNEASY Cell RNA system (Qiagen) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. The mRNA was transcribed into cDNA, as previously described

19. Briefly, cDNA was prepared using the Omniscript reverse transcription kit (Qiagen) with oligo dT primers, according to the manufacturer’s instructions, the concentration calculated from the optical density using a GeneQuant spectrophotometer (Amersham Biosciences, Amersham, UK) and stored at −20°C until use. Real-time

PCR was carried out in a total volume of 12.5 μL with 5 μL of cDNA and 7.5 μL of the master mix (labeled probe (5′-FAM—TAMRA-3′), PCR probe master mix (Qiagen) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Primers were designed to span introns so that amplification from genomic DNA should not occur, and this was initially confirmed by comparing the results from PCR of RNA preparations and the cDNA that was prepared from it. A negative (no template) control was also included in all PCR assays to test for contamination of reagents. All mixes were prepared using a Corbett sample preparation robot (Corbett Research, (-)-p-Bromotetramisole Oxalate Sydney Australia). Reaction efficiencies (range=95–100%) were derived from serial dilutions of cloned PCR product and if variation between duplicates varied by more than 10% the run was repeated. Cloning of PCR product for standards was performed using the pGEM-T system (Promega, Southampton, UK) and TOPO TA cloning kit (Invitrogen, Paisley, UK) followed by plasmid DNA extraction using Wizard®Plus Minipreps DNA purification system (Promega) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. All reactions were run in duplicate and non-template controls were included.