Figure 3: The impaired anti-fibrotic function of NK cells from LC patients against HSCs was dependent on perforin and TRAIL pathway. | Scientific Reports

Figure 3: The impaired anti-fibrotic function of NK cells from LC patients against HSCs was dependent on perforin and TRAIL pathway.

From: Activated hepatic stellate cells impair NK cell anti-fibrosis capacity through a TGF-β-dependent emperipolesis in HBV cirrhotic patients

Figure 3

(a,b) Pooled data showing the percentages of apoptotic LX-2 cells (an HSC cell line) by purified NK cells from the three groups at an E: T ratio of 10: 1 (n = 6 for each group of subjects). The percentages of 7-AAD−Annexin V+ early (a) and 7-AAD+Annexin V+ late apoptotic cells (b) are shown. (c,d) Perforin and TRAIL pathways are involved in the anti-fibrotic activity of NK cells in LC patients. Blockade of perforin using BFA (c) and TRAIL (d) decreased early and late apoptosis of LX2 cells significantly in CHB and LC patients (n = 6 for each group of subjects). The data are shown as the means, and the error bars represent the SEM. *P < 0.05, two-tailed, paired Student’s t-test.

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