Fig. 7.

Changes of the Ki67 expression of recent thymic emigrant (RTE), mature naive (MN), CD31⁺, and CD31⁻ memory regulatory T cells (Tregs)/responder T cells (Tresps) with age in healthy volunteers (n = 94) and SLE patients who were treated with MMF or AZA (n = 48) or not (n = 30). The percentages of Ki67⁺ cells within RTE, MN, CD31⁺, and CD31⁻ memory Tregs/Tresp was estimated in healthy volunteers (black diamonds) and in SLE patients who were treated with MMF or AZA (blue diamonds) or not (green diamonds). Significant changes with age are marked by blue p values (treated with AZA or MMF) or green p values (no AZA or MMF medication). An age-independent significantly decreased (blue downward arrow) percentage of Ki67⁺ cells was detected in RTE Tregs and CD31⁺ memory Tregs (marked by blue p* values) of AZA- or MMF-treated versus untreated SLE patients (a). Moreover, in SLE patients who did not receive AZA or MMF the proliferative capacity of RTE Tresps increased significantly with age, while this was not the case when AZA or MMF medication was given to the SLE patients. The proliferation capacity of CD31⁺ and CD31⁻ memory Tresps did not rise significantly with age if the SLE patients were not treated with AZA or MMF, but it decreased significantly if the SLE patients had been treated with AZA or MMF (b). Similar results, with a clear decrease in the proliferation capacity of CD31⁺ and CD31⁻ memory Tregs with age and a significant difference in the slopes of the regression lines between treated and untreated SLE patients, were also observed for Tregs (a)