Fig. 5.

Activation-induced pyroptosis of mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells is associated with MAIT cell depletion in combined antiretroviral therapy (cART)-naive patients. a FLICA caspase-1 induction of total MAIT and CD4⁺ MAIT cells with/without HIV-1 R5 strain JR-CSF challenge for 48 h in PBMCs from HCs (n = 9) and TPs (n = 9). b FLICA caspase-1 induction of MAIT cells with/without HIV-1 R5 strain JR-CSF challenge for 24 h in HCs (n = 9) and TPs (n = 9) PBMCs activated by αCD3 plus αCD28 antibodies, PFA-fixed E. coli, and IL-12 plus IL-18, respectively. c FLICA caspase-1 induction of MAIT cells from healthy donors (n = 10) incubated for 48 h with HCs’ plasma and TPs’ plasma with CD4⁺ T cell count ≥ 350 cells/µl and TPs’ plasma with CD4⁺ T cell count < 350 cells/µl, respectively. d Quantification of plasma IL-12p70 (left panel) and IL-18 (right panel) in HCs (grey, n = 33), TPs (total n = 69, CD4⁺ T cell count ≥ 350 cells/µl subgroup marked by pink, n = 29, CD4⁺ T cell count < 350 cells/µl subgroup marked by red, n = 40). Different colors represent different subgroups. Data are expressed as M (Q₁, Q₃). ^**P < 0.01, ^***P < 0.001, ^****P < 0.0001, ns non-signifcant. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for matched paired t-test (a and b), Mann–Whitney U test (c and d). The lower detection limit of plasma IL-12p70 by using high sensitivity ELISA kit is 7.8 pg/ml. FLICA fluorescently labeled inhibitor of caspases. HC healthy control, TP treatment-naive patient, HIV human immunodeficiency virus, E. coli Escherichia coli, IL-12 interleukin-12, IL-18 interleukin-18