Figure 1

Identification and phenotypic characterization of NKG2D⁺CD4⁺ T cells in SLE. (A) FCM assay of NKG2D expression among CD4⁺ T, CD8⁺ T, NK and NKT cells in representative peripheral blood samples from a representative HC and SLE patient. (B) Frequency profiles of NKG2D expression on CD4⁺ T, CD8⁺ T, CD3⁻CD56⁺ NK and CD3⁺CD56⁺ NKT cells in the HCs (n = 46) and SLE patients (n = 66). Each symbol represents one individual. (C) NKG2D⁺CD4⁺ T cells were gated from a representative peripheral blood sample of an SLE patient and analyzed for expression of the indicated surface markers (black-lined histograms). Gray-filled histograms represent the staining with control Ab. (D) FCM assay of the expression of the indicated markers in gated CD4 cells from a representative peripheral blood sample of an SLE patient and statistical analysis of the frequency of the of CD4⁺ T cell subset in PBMCs of SLE patients (n = 30) and HCs (n = 30), respectively. Numbers represent percentages. Each symbol represents one individual; ^** P < 0.01, ^*** P < 0.001. Horizontal lines with bars show the mean ± SD.