Figure 2.

Flow cytometry analysis of the numbers of circulating CD138⁺ or IgG⁺ plasmablasts in UC patients. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from UC patients and HC were stained with fluorescent anti‐CD19, anti‐CD20, anti‐CD38, anti‐CD138, anti‐IgG and anti‐IgM. The cells were gated initially on living lymphocytes, and then on CD20⁻ CD19⁺ plasmablasts, and subsequently on CD38⁺ CD20⁻ CD19⁺ plasmablasts, and CD138⁺ CD38⁺ CD20⁻ CD19⁺ plasmablasts. The numbers of CD20⁻ CD19⁺, CD38⁺ CD20⁻ CD19⁺, CD138⁺ CD38⁺ CD20⁻ CD19⁺, IgG⁺ CD38⁺ CD20⁻ CD19⁺ and IgM⁺ CD38⁺ CD20⁻ CD19⁺ plasmablasts was analysed by flow cytometry. (A) Flow cytometry analysis. (B) Quantitative analysis. Data shown are representative dot plug or expressed as the mean% plasmablasts of individual subjects. The difference between two groups was analysed by the Mann–Whitney U nonparametric test. The horizontal lines represent the median values.