Figure 1. Alteration of Th17 and Treg subsets and Th17/Treg ratio at different stages of HIV infection.

PBMCs were stimulated for 6 hours with anti-CD3/anti-CD28 or medium alone (background control) prior to intracellular staining. Background subtracted values of CD3⁺ CD4⁺ IL-17⁺ producing cells (Th17) are shown (A). Intranuclear staining for detection of CD3⁺ CD4⁺ CD25⁺ FoxP3⁺ cells (Tregs, B). Th17/Treg ratio was calculated for each patient (C). Boxes indicate median values with 25–75 percentiles and bars show the maximum and minimum values. Symbols represent individual patients: Healthy donors (Δ, HDs), Chronics (◊), Elite controllers (□, ECs) and primary HIV infection (PHI) cohort at baseline and one year p.i follow up (◦, typical progressors or TPs with CD4 counts above 350 cells/μl during the first year p.i; ∑, rapid progressors or RPs with CD4 counts below 350 cells/μl during the first year p.i). The p values obtained are depicted as * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01 and *** p < 0.001.