The Expression and Clinical Significance of Different Forms of Mer Receptor Tyrosine Kinase in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
Figure 2
Example of quantification of blood CD14+ monocytes/macrophages and CD14+CD16+ macrophage subset. Membrane MerTK and CD163 expression were measured by flow cytometry as mean fluorescence intensity (MFI). Following monoclonal anti-human Abs were used for detection of FITC-conjugated anti-CD14 Ab, APC-conjugated anti-CD163 Ab, and PE-conjugated MerTK Ab. (a) Cell distribution based on the forward-scatter and side-scatter; the monocytes/macrophages population is identified and gated accordingly. The fraction of monocytes/macrophages positive for CD14 is identified and gated. (b) Histogram showing the MFI of CD14+ monocytes/macrophages positive for MerTK in IgG1 isotype (Purple line), healthy controls (Heavy blue line), and SLE patients (Light green line). mMer expression on CD14+ monocytes/macrophages subset was significantly elevated in patients with SLE compared with healthy controls. (c) CD163 expression on the surface of CD14+ monocytes/macrophages shown by histogram was different between SLE patients (Light blue line) and healthy controls (Red line). Bar showed the more expansion of CD163 expression on CD14+ monocytes/macrophages subset in SLE patients than healthy controls. (d) Correlation between CD163 and mMer expression on CD14+ cells. (e) Characterization of the monocytes/macrophages subsets in PBMC from healthy controls and patients with SLE. The dot plot represented the CD14 and CD16 expression on monocytes/macrophages. Percentages of CD14+CD16+ subset among total monocytes/macrophages were significantly reduced in SLE patients. Circles and squares in solid represented CD14+CD16+ cell frequencies of healthy controls and SLE patients, respectively. CD14+CD16+ monocytes/macrophages subset had elevated mMer expression in patients with SLE in comparison with healthy controls. (f) Comparison about sMer levels in plasma between healthy controls and SLE patients. (g) Correlation between sMer in plasma and mMer on CD14+ cells. The mean ± SD of MFI was shown by bars represented for SLE patients in solid and healthy controls in blank. Horizontal lines above bars showed difference and vertical lines showed standard errors. FSC: forward scatter; SSC: side scatter; mMer: membrane Mer tyrosine kinase; FITC: fluorescein isothiocyanate; APC: allophycocyanin; PE: phycoerythrin; PBMC: peripheral blood mononuclear cell. , .
