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Appendix 1: Meta-analyses plots
Link between IL-1 expression and the severity of C. trachomatis infections in humans
(Agrawal 2009; Gupta 2009; Reddy 2004; Marconi 2014; Gupta 2009)
Figure A1A: Meta-analysis of pooled results for C. trachomatis severity linked to IL-1
secretion during infections in humans using the fixed-effects model.
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Figure A1B: One-study-removed analysis indicates no significant single study effect.
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Figure A1C: Cumulative analysis showing slightly increasing temporal progression of
results.
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Figure A1D: Funnel plot showing that publication bias is not a factor among any included
studies.
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Link between IL-6 expression and the severity of inflammation during C. trachomatis
infections in humans (Vats 2007; Agrawal 2007; Gupta 2009; Agrawal 2009; Reddy 2004;
Marconi 2014)
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Figure A2A: Meta-analysis of pooled results for severity of inflammation during C.
trachomatis infections in humans linked to IL-6 secretion using the fixed-effects model.
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Figure A2B: One-study-removed analysis indicates no significant single study effect.
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Figure A2C: Cumulative analysis showing slightly decreasing temporal progression of
results.
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Figure A2D: Funnel plot showing that publication bias is not a factor among any included
studies
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Link between IL-8 expression and likelihood of developing and the severity of inflammation
during C. trachomatis infections in humans (Pate 2001; Mazzoli 2007; Agrawal 2008;
Agrawal 2009; Agrawal 2009; Reddy 2004; Marconi 2014)
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Figure A3A: Meta-analysis of pooled results for severity of inflammation during C.
trachomatis infections in humans linked to IL-8 secretion. (A) Meta-analysis using the fixedeffects model.
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Figure A3B: One-study-removed analysis indicates no significant single study effect.
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Figure A3C: Cumulative analysis showing decreasing temporal progression of results.
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Figure A3D: Funnel plot showing two of the included studies have different standard error
and odds ratio values than expected
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Link between IL-10 expression and the susceptibility to C. trachomatis infections by humans
(Vats 2007; Agrawal 2007; Agrawal 2008; Srivastava 2008; Agrawal 2009; Gupta 2009;
Reddy 2004)
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Figure A4A: Meta-analysis of pooled results for susceptibility to C. trachomatis infections in
humans linked to IL-10 secretion using the fixed-effects model.
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Figure A4B: One-study-removed analysis indicates no significant single study effect.
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Figure A4C: Cumulative analysis showing negligible temporal progression of results.
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Figure A4D: Funnel plot showing that publication bias is not a factor among any included
studies.
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Link between TNFα expression and the susceptibility to C. trachomatis infections by humans
(Srivastava 2008; Gupta 2009; Reddy 2004)
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Figure A5A: Meta-analysis of pooled results for C. trachomatis severity linked to TNFα
secretion in human infections using fixed-effect model
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Figure A5B: One-study-removed analysis showed no significant single study effect.
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Figure A5C: Cumulative analysis showing little temporal progression of results.
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Figure A5D: Funnel plot showing no publication bias among the studies.
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Link between IL-1 expression and the expression of inflammation during N. gonorrhoeae
infections in humans (Hedges 1998; Cauci 2007; Masson 2014)
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Figure A6A: Meta-analysis of pooled results for severity of inflammation during N.
gonorrhoeae infections in humans linked to IL-1 secretion using the fixed-effects model.
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Figure A6B: One-study-removed analysis indicates no significant single study effect.
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Figure A6C: Cumulative analysis showing increasing temporal progression of results.
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Figure A6D: Funnel plot showing that publication bias is not a factor among any included
studies.
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Link between IL-8 expression and the expression of inflammation during N. gonorrhoeae
infections in humans (Ramsey 1995; Hedges 1998; Cauci 2007)
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Figure A7A: Meta-analysis of pooled results for severity of inflammation during N.
gonorrhoeae infections in humans linked to IL-8 secretion using the random-effects model.
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Figure A7B: One-study-removed analysis indicates no significant single study effect.
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Figure A7C: Cumulative analysis showing decreasing temporal progression of results.
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Figure A7D: Funnel plot showing that publication bias is not a factor among any included
studies.
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Link between IFNγ expression and the severity of inflammation during T. pallidum infections
in humans (Pastuszczak 2013; Knudsen 2009; Cruz 2012)
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Figure A8A: Meta-analysis of pooled results for T. pallidum severity linked to IFNγ secretion
during infections in humans using the fixed-effects model.
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Figure A8B: One-study-removed analysis indicates a significant single study effect.
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Figure A8C: Cumulative analysis showing increasing temporal progression of results.
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Figure A8D: Funnel plot showing borderline publication bias among all the included studies.
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