Figure 2.

Change of IFN-γ-expression in the CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD4⁺CD25^– T subsets of SLE patients before and after stimulation in comparison with healthy controls. Expression of IFN-γ was determined by flow cytometry for intracellular cytokine analysis (*, P<0.05). Compared with healthy controls, SLE patients had increased IFN-γ⁺ cells both in fresh-isolated CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD4⁺CD25^– T subsets, but lower times of increased IFN-γ⁺ cells in the CD4⁺CD25⁺ and CD4⁺CD25^– T subsets after stimulation, both in the percentages (A,C) and in number (B,D).