Fig. 3.

Expression of CD68+ dendritic cells, including macrophages, in the flow cytometric analysis. The patients with lumbar disc herniation (patients) had statistically higher levels of CD68+ dendritic cells, including macrophages, than did the normal controls (control), when expressed either as percentages of cells from disc tissue (mean ± SD), 12.11 ± 3.84% versus 6.26 ± 1.14%, p < 0.05) or as the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) (resting state 8.21 ± 2.48% versus 0.63 ± 0.31%, p < 0.05, stimulated state 13.56 ± 5.99% versus 0.79 ± 0.42%, p < 0.05).