Figure 9. IKE-CMX vaccination activates CD4⁺ T cells, macrophages, and the IgG2a immune response.

Groups of mice vaccinated with saline, IKE, or IKE-CMX (A) and then vaccinated with saline, IKE-CMX, or mc²-CMX (B) were challenged with Mtb 45 days after immunization. Thirty days after infection, their lungs were collected. CD4⁺ T cells selected with lymphocyte gating for IL-17 (A), or IFN-γ and TNF-α (B) were quantified. Lung macrophages, defined as CD11b^mid, CD11c^low, and F4/80⁺, were quantified after mc²-CMX (C) or IKE-CMX (D). ELISA was used to detect CMX-specific serum IgG2a after the IKE-CMX vaccination scheme (E).