a, EBV-transformed B cells were transduced with a
lentiviral construct encoding human CD1d, loaded with α-GalCer and
cultured with the 58ab hybridoma. The graph shows the mean IL-2 levels from
three independent wells with cells from the indicated individuals. The results
are representative of three independent experiments. b,
Representative dot plots from a patient with NPD and a healthy control. The
percentages indicate the percentage of iNKT cells among lymphocytes.
c,d, The graphs demonstrate the level of iNKT
cells (c) and T cells (d) in patients with NPD
(n = 5) compared to healthy controls
(n = 70). The values indicate the percentage
of iNKT cells or T cells among lymphocytes. e, ASM activity in
PBMCs was measured using a colorimetric assay and the iNKT cell phenotype was
examined by flow cytometry in healthy controls
(n = 25). The graphs show the correlation between
ASM activity and the percentage of CD8+ (left) or CD161+
(right) cells among iNKT cells. Mean values are shown with error bars
representing the s.e.m. in a, and the line indicates the median
value in c. P values were calculated by one-way
ANOVA with Bonferroni’s correction for multiple comparisons
(a), a two-sided Mann-Whitney U-test
(c and d) and two-sided Pearson’s
correlation (e). *P < 0.05,
**P < 0.01,
***P < 0.001; NS, not significant.