Figure 5. Increased T_R activity during arthritis is countered by increased T_E resistance to suppression.

A. T_E (CD4 ⁺FoxP3⁻) were sorted from spleens or pooled LN from acutely or chronically arthritic mice. T_E (1×10⁵/well) were stimulated with irradiated NOD DCs and cell proliferation was assayed by ³H-thymidine incorporation during the last 16 hour in a 72 hour culture. Data denotes mean of triplicates wells ± SD. B. T_R from different sites and disease state varied in their suppressive activity against T_E. Data denotes mean of triplicates wells ± SD. C and D. CD4⁺FoxP3⁻CD45RB^lo(memory) and CD4⁺FoxP3⁻CD45RB^hi (naïve) T_E from arthritic mice were cultured with varying ratios of T_R with NOD DCs. Data represents mean cpm of triplicate wells ± SD (C) or normalized as a fraction of max cpm of T_E alone (D). P values were <.02 for CD4⁺FoxP3⁻CD45RB^hi vs CD4⁺FoxP3⁻CD45RB^lo at each of the T_E:T_R ratios in (C) and other P values for D are shown. N.S. not significant. Data is representative of three similar experiments.