Fig. 2: FTY720 treatment in the first weeks of ART retains cytolytic cells but does not enhance their functionality in the LN.

a Frequency of CD4+ T cells, b CD8+ T cells, and (c) ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T cells in lymph node (LN) mononuclear cells at baseline (week −1) and at 8 weeks of treatment in early FTY720 (n = 8 RMs) or control (n = 14 RMs) SIV-infected RMs. d Frequency of LN perforin+ (Perf+), e granzyme B (GrB+), and (f) Perf+GrB+ CD8+ T cells at baseline (week −1) and at 8 weeks in early FTY720 (red) or control (black) SIV-infected RMs. g Fold reduction between week −1 and week 8 of Perf+GrB+ CD8+ T cells, and (h) frequency of LN CD8+ T cells expressing CXCR5 at baseline (week −1) and at 8 weeks in early FTY720 (n = 8 RMs) and control (n = 14 RMs) SIV-infected RMs. i Representative flow cytometry staining of P185 mastocytoma target cells (TFL4+ cells) expressing active caspase-3 when cultured alone or co-cultured with different ratios of effector CD8+ T cells derived from LN. j Frequency of target cells expressing active caspase 3 following co-culture with CD8+ T cells derived from LN at week 8 from early FTY720 (n = 8 RMs) or control (n = 7 RMs) SIV-infected RMs. k Representative flow cytometry staining of CD56−CD16+NK+ cells in LN at week −1 and 8 from early FTY720 (top) or control SIV-infected RMs (bottom). l Frequency of CD56−CD16+ NK cells and (m) CD16 geometric mean fluorescence intensity (geomean) in NK cells derived from LN at week −1 and 8 from early FTY720 (n = 8 RMs) or control (n = 14 RMs) SIV-infected RMs. ART antiretroviral treatment. Data are presented as the mean ± SD. Statistical differences between FTY720 treated and control groups are indicated with P values and were assessed with a two-sided (95% CI) Mann–Whitney U-test.