Figure 2.

MPLA-tDCs exhibit a semi-mature surface phenotype and differentially express high levels of TLR-2. DCs generated following a 5-day protocol were treated with dexamethasone 48 hours before cell harvest for tolerance induction (tDCs). MPLA was added 24 hours before cell collection to obtain mature DC (mDCs) and also to activate tDCs (MPLA-tDCs). Untreated DCs were used as immature controls (iDCs). (A) After harvesting, DC surface expression levels of costimulatory (CD80 and CD86), antigen presentation (MHC class I and II), maturation (CD83) and functional activator (CD40) molecules were assessed by flow cytometry, which are shown as representative histograms of each marker (top) and graphic analyses of MFI measurements determined for every marker and expressed as mean ± SEM (bottom) (n = 33). (B) TLR-2, PD-L1, GILZ and ILT3 expression on each DC condition was analyzed by flow cytometry to seek for specific tolerogenic DC markers. Representative histograms (left) and graphic analyses for each molecule assessed from 13 independent experiments are shown and represented as mean ± SEM (* P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01; *** P < 0.001).