Fig. 3

Effect of rifaximin treatment on autoreactive and no-autoreactive T lymphocytes, and on expression of the early activation marker CD69 in CD4⁺ T lymphocytes. a Percentage of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes that are autoreactive (CD4⁺CD28⁻). b Percentage of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes that are not autoreactive (CD4⁺CD28⁺). d Percentage of CD4⁺ T lymphocytes that express the early activation marker CD69. Percentage of autoreactive (d) or not autoreactive CD4⁺ T lymphocytes (e) that express CD69. CTL, controls; NMHE, patients without MHE; MHE, patients with MHE; 3, 6: patients with MHE after 3 and 6 months of rifaximin treatment. Values significantly different from controls are indicated by *. Values significantly different in patients with MHE compared to NMHE are indicated by α. Values significantly different after vs. before treatment are indicated by β (*/α/β p < 0.05; **/αα/ββ p < 0.01; ***/ααα/βββ p < 0.001)