Figure 2.

The proportions of CD56^dim and CD56^bright natural killer (NK) cells are higher post-aHSCT compared witho baseline (BL). Cryopreserved peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) from aHSCT-treated MS patients was analyzed by flow cytometry. Representative plots for BL (A,C), and month 12 [M12; (B,D)] stained for CD3 and CD56 (A,B), gated on CD3⁻CD56⁺, then shown as CD56 with CD16 (C,D). Example gates for CD56^bright and CD56^dim are shown. Additional time points include BL, and serial samples approximately every 3 months for up to 24 months post-aHSCT. The average proportions of total NK cells as well as CD56^dim and CD56^bright NK cell subsets expressed as a proportion of total PBMC (E). The ratio of NK cells with the CD56^bright phenotype calculated as CD56^bright/CD56^dim NK cells (F). The proportions of NK cells with CD16⁺ or CD16⁻ phenotype expressed as a proportion of total PBMC (G). The ratio of gated NK cells with the CD16⁻ phenotype calculated as CD16⁻/CD16⁺ (H). N = 7 patients. For statistical analysis, the time points were grouped in M3–M6, M9–M12, M15–M18, and M21–M24, followed by univariate one-way ANOVA with pairwise comparisons with the BL values.