Fig. 4

Flow cytometry analysis of the percentages of peripheral blood and hydrothorax IL-10⁺ or LAP⁺ CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ T cells. The peripheral blood and hydrothorax mononuclear cells were stained with anti-CD4 and anti-CD25, fixed and permeabilized, followed by staining with anti-Foxp3 and anti-IL-10 (or control IgG1) or stained with anti-CD4, anti-CD25, and anti-LAP (or control IgG1), fixed and permeabilized, followed by staining with anti-Foxp3, respectively. The blood or hydrothorax mononuclear cells cultured in medium alone served as negative controls. The cells were first gated on CD4⁺ and then on CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ or CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ cells, followed by determining the percentages of IL-10⁺ or LAP⁺ CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ and CD4⁺CD25⁻Foxp3⁺ T cells. Data shown are representative charts and expressed as the means of individual subjects. a Representative charts. b The percentages of different phenotypes of Foxp3⁺ cells in the HCs. c–f The percentages of different phenotypes of Foxp3⁺ T cells in individual groups of subjects. The horizontal lines show the medians of individual groups.