Fig. 9: HIV+ patients have skewed TregDys/Th17 ratios and CD4+ T cell hyperactivation correlating with salivary putrescine in the oral mucosa.
From: Polyamine metabolism impacts T cell dysfunction in the oral mucosa of people living with HIV
Gingival mucosal cells from healthy controls (n = 19) and PLWH (n = 30) were processed for flow cytometry ex vivo. A, B Th17 cells were quantified by examining the expression of ROR-γt and CCR6 in CD4+ T cells. Contour plot (A), and statistical quantification (B), show Th17 proportions. The increase in TregDys proportions and Th hyperactivation (CD38+HLADR+CD4+T cells) in this PLWH cohort were previously published4. C Statistical quantification of TregDys /Th17 ratios as determined by flow cytometry analyses. D Statistical quantification of salivary putrescine using LC-MS in healthy controls (n = 11) and PLWH (n = 10) with known TregDys /Th17 ratios as determined by flow cytometry analyses. Median values ± SEM are plotted. (Mann–Whitney U test ****P < 0.0001; **P = 0.007; Two-tailed in B and C. Circles within box plots represent each replicate. E Correlation between gingival TregDys/Th17 ratios and salivary putrescine (n = 21) (left), and Correlation between gingival CD4 hyperactivation and salivary putrescine (n = 21)(right). P values from both correlation and regression analysis are provided.
