Skip to main content
. 2018 Nov 8;8:16544. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-35037-8

Figure 5.

Figure 5

Depletion of Treg cells in ongoing PCM of DEREG mice increases the gene expression of cytokines and transcription factors of Th1 and Th17 cells concomitant with reduced Foxp3 expression. T helper (Th) cells are characterized by different cytokines and master transcription factors profiles which are used to define their subsets. Th1 cells preferentially secrete IFN-γ and express the transcription factor Tbx21. Th2 cells that differentiate under the influence of many cytokines typically secrete IL-4, IL-5, IL-9 and IL-13 under the control of GATA3 transcription factor. The combination of TGF-β and IL-6 as well as IL-1β and IL-23 influence the differentiation of Th17 cells which have RORγτ as the master transcription factor and IL-17 as the major synthesized cytokine. In addition, TGF-β causes the expression of Foxp3 transcription factor that leads to the differentiation of Treg cells that secrete TGF-β, IL-10 and IL-35. Here is shown the relative expression of mRNA of IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17, TGF-β, Tbx21, Gata3, Rorc and Foxp3 in whole lung cells of DT and PBS (control) treated DEREG mice after 6 and 10 weeks of P. brasiliensis infection. The level of gene transcription was determined by Real-Time PCR. Bars show mean ± SEM from three independent experiments using at least four mice per group (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 and ***p < 0.001).