4.3.5. Cytokine Quantification

The concentrations of TNFα and IL-1β were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits (Invitrogen ®, California, CA, USA) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Briefly, supernatants of pleural lavages were diluted 1:1 ( *w*/*w*) in the diluent solution provided by the ELISA kit, and the readings were performed at 450 nm using a microplate reader (ASYS ®, New York, NY, USA). The concentrations were obtained by interpolation from a standard curve and data were expressed as pg/mL.
