Figure 2.

Comparison of ASC inhibitory effects on CD4⁺ T cell proliferation in contact and transwell cocultures. PBMCs, isolated from 3 healthy blood donors and activated with PHA, were cultured separately (control) or cocultured with ASCs from 4 healthy donors (HD/ASCs) or 5 AS patients (AS/ASCs) in conditions allowing direct cell contact or in a transwell system. Untreated and TNF + IFNγ- (TI-) treated ASCs were used. The proliferation of CD4⁺ T cells was analyzed by flow cytometry. Data are the results of the indicated number of experiments (n) and are shown as the Tukey's boxes. ^∗P = 0.05‐0.01, ^∗∗P = 0.01‐0.001, and ^∗∗∗P = 0.001‐0.0001 for comparison of cell cocultures vs. control separate cultures and as indicated. ^##P = 0.01‐0.001 for comparison of contact vs. transwell cocultures.