Fig. 3. In vaccinated patients, the cervix is infiltrated by activated effector memory T cells with potent effector functions.

(A to D) T cells were isolated from the cervix of healthy controls (normal, n = 5), patients with untreated CIN2/3 (n = 7), and patients with CIN2/3 after vaccination (n = 4). The percent of CD4 versus CD8 T cells (A), the CD4/CD8 ratio (B), the percent Foxp3⁺ T_reg (C), and the CD8/Foxp3⁺ ratio (D) are shown. The CD4/CD8 ratio tended to increase in untreated CIN and normalize in vaccinated patients. The CD8/Foxp3⁺ ratio was lowest in untreated CIN and tended to increase after vaccination, although only the normal versus CIN2/3 group reached statistical significance. Data from bar graphs are means of cases analyzed. Error bars show SEM. P < 0.05, Wilcoxon rank sum test. (E) Representative histograms of surface phenotype and cytokine production of T cells from vaccinated patients (n = 4). Surface phenotype stains were performed on unstimulated cells, and cytokine analysis stains were performed after stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate and ionomycin. Most of the T cells from patients after vaccination were memory CD45RO⁺ T cells, many expressed the activation marker CD69, most lacked the central memory markers L-selectin/CCR7, and all expressed the gut-tropic homing receptor α₄β₇ integrin. Most of both CD4 and CD8 T cells produced IFN-γ, and a significant subset of CD4 T cells expressed interleukin-17 (IL-17) and/or IL-22. All histograms are gated to show CD3⁺ T cells; the gating strategy and representative isotype controls are included in fig. S3.