Figure 2. Autoimmune status of transgenic IL-2Rβ^−/− mice expressing mutant IL-2Rβ.

The indicated IL-2Rβ transgenic mice were assessed for peripheral T cells with an activated (A) CD44^high, (B) CD69⁺, or (C) CD62L^low (C) phenotype or for (D) hemolytic anemia. Controls were IL-2Rβ^+/− or IL-2Rβ^−/− littermate mice. Data are mean ± SEM of ≥7 mice/group <16 wks of age, except for 2Rβ^WT (n=3) (A-C) and representative of at least 5 mice/group in (D). Autoimmune status was also assessed as a function of age for the indicated transgenic mice by enumerating (E) the % of CD4⁺ T cells that were CD69⁺ or CD62L^low. The line in (E) represents the value for two standard deviations above of the mean for littermate control mice. (F) Hematoxylin-eosin fixed sections of the indictaed tissues were examined for inflammatory infiltrates.