Figure 5

Intrahepatic CD43 ⁺ CD4 ⁺ and CD43 ⁺ CD4 ⁺ T cells exibit a pro-inflammatory phenotype in visceral leishmaniasis. Livers were removed from CD43^+/+ wild-type mice infected with 5 × 10⁷ amastigotes of Leishmania (L.) infantum chagasi at 30 DPI and CD43⁺CD4⁺ and CD43⁺CD8⁺ T cell subsets were purified by flow cytometry. To measure cytokine transcripts, total mRNA from highly purified (>98%) T cell subsets (as indicated) were processed for RT-PCR. The results represent (A,F) IFN-γ transcripts, (B,G) TNF-α transcripts, (C,H) IL-17 transcripts, (D,I) IL-10 transcripts, and (E,J) TGF-β transcripts, standardized with the housekeeping gene GAPDH, calculated as 2^-ΔCt and presented as mean values ± SE. All experiments were performed in triplicate and the data shown are representatives of three independent experiments using five mice per group. Indicated differences between groups are significant *(p<0.05), **(p<0.01), ***(p<0.001).