Figure 2. Analysis of blood B cell subsets following rituximab therapy in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome.

The average percentages of B cells in each of the different B-cell subsets (CD19+ lymphocytes) in all of the patients are plotted as a function of time in weeks following rituximab. Time zero is the baseline assessment and corresponds to the day of the first rituximab infusion. The subsets are defined on the basis CD27 and CD38 expression as described in the Materials and Methods.