Fig. 3

Flow cytometry analysis of the numbers of hydrothorax Foxp3⁺ T cells in tuberculous and malignant hydrothorax patients. The peripheral blood and hydrothorax mononuclear cells were stained with anti-CD4 and anti-CD25, fixed and permeabilized, followed by staining with anti-Foxp3. The cells were first gated on living lymphocytes and on CD4⁺ cells, and the numbers of blood and hydrothorax CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ T cells were characterized by flow cytometry analysis. Subsequently, the numbers of hydrothorax CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ T cells were stratified, according to the levels of hydrothorax ADA = 45 in tuberculous hydrothorax patients and CEA = 20 in malignant hydrothorax patients. Data shown are representative charts and expressed as the means of individual subjects. a Representative charts; b the numbers of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ T cells; c the numbers of CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ T cells. d stratification analysis of the numbers of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ T cells. e Stratification analysis of the numbers of CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ T cells. The horizontal lines show the median values of individual groups.