Figure 5.

Association of proinflammatory cytokine-producing Th17 and Tc17 cells with HIV target cell population in the rectal mucosa (RM) in HIV negative men. (a) No correlation was seen with the total IL17A- producers. There was negative correlation observed between the frequency of CD4 memory CCR5⁺ cells and IL17A⁺ single cytokine-producing Th17 (b) cells. The IL17A⁺IFN-γ⁺TNF-α⁺IL4^neg cells showed a positive correlation with CD4 memory α4β7⁺Ki67⁺ (b) and CD4 memory Ki67⁺ cells (d). Unlike the total Th17 population, total Tc17 cells showed negative correlation with the proliferating memory CD4 T cells (e); the single IL17A-producing Tc17 showed negative correlation with proliferating and gut homing (α4β7⁺Ki67⁺) CD4 memory cells (f); the frequencies of memory CD4 T cells expressing α4β7⁺Ki67⁺ showed positive correlation with CD8⁺IL17A⁺IFN-γ⁺TNF-α⁺IL4^neg (g) and CD8⁺IL17A⁺TNF-α⁺IFN-γ^negIL4^neg (h), respectively. r = Spearman rank correlation coefficient; statistically significant findings were considered when p < 0.05.