Figure 9.

Administration of CD27 agonist Ab inversely regulates Treg and iNKT cell levels and reduces insulitis. Starting at five weeks of age, NOD and Cd70^−/− mice were i.p. injected with 50 μg CD27 agonist Ab (AT-124) or PBS twice a wk. After four weeks, thymi and spleens were analyzed for Tregs, iNKT cells and CD1d expression. (A) The frequency and (B) number of thymic and splenic Foxp3⁺ CD4⁺ T cells. The frequency of thymic and splenic (C) Helios⁺ Tregs (D) and Helios⁻ Tregs. (E) The frequency and (F) number of thymic and splenic CD1d tetramer⁺ iNKT cells. (G) MFI of CD1d Ab staining on thymocytes and splenocytes. (H) Mean insulitis scores at the end of 4 weeks of treatment in the indicated mice (n ≥ 8). Statistical differences were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney test. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, ****P < 0.0001. Actual P valves are provided when 0.1>p-value>0.05.