Fig. 4.

Effect of mercury exposure on T helper 1 (Th1)/Th2 responses in C3HHeN mice infected experimentally with Borrelia burgdorferi. Serum levels of (a) IgE (Th2) and (b) IgG2a (Th1), numbers of Borrelia-stimulated (c) interleukin-4- (Th2), (d) interferon-γ-secreting cells (Th1) in 100 000 lymphocytes from inguinal lymph nodes. Control, normal mice not infected with B. burgdorferi; Hg, mice treated with HgCl₂ not infected with B. burgdorferi: Bb, mice infected with B. burgdorferi; BbHg, mice infected with B. burgdorferi and treated with HgCl₂ prior to infection. Data represent median values from seven mice in each group. Error bars indicate interquartile range.