Fig 3.

Isolation and characterization of sorted total and intestinal homing ASCs during the peak in the peripheral circulation on day 7 after cholera demonstrate a high proportion of circulating ASCs are V. cholerae-antigen specific. (A) Circulating ASCs and intestinal homing (inset squares/rectangles) ASCs were isolated from cholera patients by flow cytometry as shown, for characterization by ELISPOT assay. (B) The distribution of isotypes among sorted ASC populations is shown by the small circle at the center of each pie chart, which also indicates the proportion of ASCs that are specific for V. cholerae O1 LPS and CtxB. A high proportion of the isolated ASCs recognized these two immunodominant V. cholerae antigens. V. cholerae O1 LPS-specific IgA responses comprised a significantly greater proportion of the intestinal homing ASC responses (5% in all ASCs versus 14% in gut-homing ASCs) (P = 0.03).