Figure 3.

Plasticity of SA-specific CD4⁺ T cells. Proliferation and cytokine (IL-17, IFN-γ) production of antigen-specific CD4⁺ T cells was evaluated by intracellular cytokine staining (ICS). Healthy donor PBMCs were stimulated with a pool of the Th17-driving SA proteins EbhA, IsaA, SdrE (‘Proteins’), and frequencies of responding cells in the CD4⁺ T cells were assessed in the absence or presence of modulating cytokines, i.e., IL-12/IL-18 or IL-6/IL-1β/IL-23 combinations, or IL-27. Bars represent medians. Each symbol represents one individual. * P< .05; *** P< .001. Cytokine concentrations in culture supernatants assessed using cytometric bead array were found to be consistent with the ICS data (data not shown).