Fig. 3

The rs1061632 variant has functional associations with the mTOR pathway. A-D The role of the Akt-mTOR pathway in B. burgdorferi s.l. recognition was tested in PBMC stimulation experiments. PBMCs from healthy donors (buffy coats) were stimulated with B. burgdorferi s.l. in the presence or absence of mTOR inhibitors in various concentrations. Concentrations of (A) IL-1β, (B) IL-6, (C) IL-10, and (D) IL-1Ra were determined after 24 h of stimulation. IL-10 concentrations were significantly decreased in a dose-dependent manner when mTOR was inhibited. This situation reverses the suggested effect of the rs1061632 major allele. P-values were calculated using Wilcoxon rank-sum test, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001