Analysis of Sodium Chloride Intake and Treg/Th17 Lymphocytes in Healthy Individuals and Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

Figure 2

Levels of Treg and Th17 cells in the peripheral blood from healthy subjects and patients with SLE or RA with low- and high-salt intake. The frequency of Foxp3⁺ and CD69⁺ Treg cells and Th17 lymphocytes was determined by multiparametric flow cytometry analysis in blood samples from healthy controls and patients with SLE or RA, with low- or high-salt intake. (a) Percent of CD4⁺CD25^highFoxp3⁺ cells. (b) Frequency of CD4⁺CD25^varCD69⁺LAP⁺IL-10⁺Foxp3⁻ Treg cells. (c) Percent of CD4⁺NKG2D⁺CD69⁺LAP⁺IL-10⁺Foxp3⁻ Treg cells. (d) Frequency of CD4⁺IL-17⁺ lymphocytes. All percentages are referred to total lymphocytes. Data correspond to the arithmetic mean and SD (a) or the median and IQR (b–d). ; ; ; ns: nonsignificant.

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