Fig. 5.

Anti-human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (anti-HER2) T-helper type-1 (Th1) deficit in patients without pathologic complete response (non-pCR) is not attributable to lack of immune competence, host-level T cell anergy, or increase in immunosuppressive phenotypes. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from pCR and non-pCR patients did not differ significantly in (a) immune competence – measured by IFN-γ production to anti-CD3/anti-CD28 stimulus or recall stimuli tetanus toxoid and Candida albicans – by enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot. Results presented as median ± IQR interferon-γ (IFN-γ) spot-forming cells (SFC)/2 × 10⁵ cells. b, c Relative proportions of CD3⁺CD4⁺ (b, top) or CD3⁺CD8⁺ T-cells (b, bottom), T_reg (CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺) (c, top) or myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC) (CD11b⁺CD33⁺HLA-DR⁻CD83⁻) (c, bottom) by flow cytometry. Representative stains within groups are shown; results in histograms are expressed as mean proportions (%) ± standard error of the mean as indicated