Figure 4.

Immunological results of MIC patients. Percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺CD127^- regulatory T lymphocytes (A), CD19⁺CD24^hiCD38^hi transitional B lymphocytes (B), and CD19⁺CD24^hiCD27⁺ memory B lymphocytes (C) in MIC patients of group A, B (●) and group C (●) at year 1, year 2-5 and beyond year 5 after surgery are shown. Individual measurements and the median are given. In contrast to regulatory T lymphocytes (A), CD19⁺CD24^hiCD38^hi transitional B lymphocytes in MIC patients of group C remained above baseline values during follow-up (B). MIC patients of group A, B had lower percentages of this cell type during the first year after transplantation (14), but percentages increased over time and appeared to approach the percentages of MIC patients of group C during follow-up. Values usually found in transplanted patients on triple drug immunosuppressive therapy are highlighted in dark grey (18, 19), values usually found in operational tolerant patients in light grey (16, 17) (B). From year 1 onwards, there was a steady increase of CD19⁺CD24^hiCD27⁺ memory B lymphocytes with no obvious differences between MIC patients of group A-C (C). In group A, B, only a limited number of samples was available for analysis. Regulatory T lymphocytes, year 1: not available (n.a.), year 2-5: N = 3, year >5: N = 5 (A). Regulatory B lymphocytes, year 2-5: N = 4, year >5: N = 5 (B, C). Analysis of transitional and memory B lymphocytes at year 1 was performed from frozen cells all other flow cytometric analyses were performed from fresh cells.