Figure 3
The effect of TLR stimulation on induction of Tregs from CD4+ Teff cells in non-uveitis group. CD4+ Teff cells were treated with ligands of TLR2, TLR4 and TLR9 to assess induction of Tregs by gating FoxP3+ CD4+CD25+ cells from fluorescence minus one tube in all subjects. Representative images from a non-uveitis control subject show the mean frequency of gated Tregs, taking CD4+CD25+ T cells as parent, after stimulation with (a) LPS-RS, (b) Pam2CSK4, (c) LPS, (d) ODN 2216, (e) ODN TTAGGG and (f) non TLR control (baseline) (anti CD3/CD28 + IL-2 only). Treatment with LPS-RS resulted in a significant increase in percentage of Tregs in (g) TB uveitis (p = 0.027), (h) Non-TB uveitis (p = 0.04) and (i) non-uveitis subjects (p = 0.01). (j) Differential TLR stimulation resulted in similar percentage of induced Tregs in subjects with non-uveitis TB. (k) Pam2CSK4 treatment resulted in significantly lower induction of Tregs in IOTB as compared to non-uveitis controls (p = 0.04). (l) ODN 2216 stimulation resulted in significantly lower induction of Tregs in IOTB subjects as compared to non-TB uveitis (p = 0.01) and non-uveitis (p = 0.05) controls, and apparently lower than in non-uveitis TB controls (p = 0.06). Treatment with (m) LPS-RS, (n) LPS or (o) ODN TTAGGG did not cause any decrease in induction of Tregs in subjects with IOTB.
