Figure 5.

Role of specific DC surface molecules and subsets in the activation of T cells and the induction of lung-trafficking molecules. (A) Draining MedLN OVA⁺ CD11b⁺ DCs from mice immunized 24 h earlier, were incubated with isotype control Abs or the indicated blocking mAbs before co-culture and evaluation of % CD44⁺ OT-II cells. Values are relative to the isotype control reference (100%) for 3–5 independent experiments, showing SEM error bars and compared using a one sample t-test with expected value of 100%. In (B,C), 5000 OVA⁺ CD24⁺ or CD24⁻ DCs were isolated from the dLNs of i.n. or i.m.-immunized mice and co-cultured with 100,000 naïve OT-II cells. The stimulation index refers to a fold-increase of the numbers of (B) CD44⁺, or (C) CD49⁺ CXCR3⁺ CD44⁺ OT-II cells compared to the media-only control. (B,C) Show 4–5 independent experiment repeats with SEM error bars, and statistical differences were calculated with a ratio paired t-test. P > 0.05; “ns,” not significant; ^*P < 0.05; ^**P < 0.01; ^***P < 0.001; ^****P < 0.0001.