Fig. 4.

Treg are functionally intact and influence disease progression. (A) In vitro suppression assays compare the suppressive capacity of CD4⁺CD25⁺ Treg from (NZBxNZW) F₁ and age-matched BALB/c mice. The proliferation of CFDA-SE-labeled responder cells in the presence of titrated numbers of Treg was analyzed by flow cytometry and is presented in percent of the proliferation of responder cells without Treg (taken as 100%). Error bars indicate SD from triplicate cultures. One representative of two to three independent experiments is shown. (B) Nephritis development, presented as average proteinuria score, and survival, presented as Kaplan–Meier curves (P = 0.116; n = 10 per group), after injection of depleting antibodies against CD25 (anti-CD25) into 8- to 10-week-old, clinically healthy (NZBxNZW) F₁ mice compared to rat IgG1-treated controls (Control). (D) Average proteinuria score and survival (P = 0.0439) after adoptive transfer of 5 × 10⁵ activated CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ cells into diseased (NZBxNZW) F₁ mice at the age of 6.5 months (Foxp3⁺) compared to a PBS-treated control group (Control). One of two independent experiments is shown (n = 5 per group). (B and C) Error bars indicate SEM.