FIG 2.

MGN1703 activates NK cells. PBMCs from ART-suppressed HIV-1-infected donors were incubated for 48 h with MGN1703 at the indicated concentrations. Controls included noCG-MGN1703 as a TLR9-specific negative control or cRPMI as an untreated control. Cells were stained and then assessed by flow cytometry. (A to C) The median percentage of CD69-positive CD56^dim (CD56^dim CD16⁺) NK cells increased up to 7.5-fold in response to MGN1703. Also, CD56^bright (CD56^bright CD16^+/−) and CD56^neg (CD56^neg CD16⁺) NK cells increased the proportion of CD69-positive cells by 2.2- and 5-fold, respectively (for comparative results for CpG-ODN2006, see Fig. S2 in the supplemental material). (D and E) The proportions of activated CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells were significantly increased. (F and G) Marginally more CD8⁺ T cells were CD25 positive, while the proportion of CD25-positive CD4⁺ T cells did not increase. (H) Representative flow diagram for one donor (represented by green triangles), showing the gating strategy for CD69 expression on CD56^dim NK cells. Each donor in Fig. 1 to 4 is represented by the same distinct symbol. Lines represent the median. SSC, side scatter; FSC, forward scatter.