Fig. 3

VEGF-R1/R2 correlates with the cytotoxic function of CD4 CTLs. A Bar plots exhibited levels of VEGFR1, VEGFR2 and NRP1 in CD4 CTLs (red) from GO patients and CD4⁺ Naive T cells (blue) from HC (N = 4). B Representative histogram plots exhibited the expression of VEGF-R1, VEGF-R2 and NRP-1 in CD4 CTLs from GO (red) and HC (blue) (N = 3). The bar plots showed the proportions of VEGF-R1⁺, VEGF-R2⁺ and NRP-1⁺ cells in CD4 CTLs from GO (red) and HC (blue). C Representative histogram plots (upper) exhibited the expression of p-VEGF-R2 in CD4 CTLs from GO (red), GH (blue) and HC (gray) (N = 3). The bar plots (bottom) showed the MFI of p-VEGF-R2 in CD4 CTLs from GO (red), GH (blue) and HC (gray) group. D, E Representative histogram plots (upper) exhibited the expression of GrmB and Prf in (D) VEGF-R1/ (E) VEGF-R2 ^±CD4 CTLs from GO (red and black) and HC (blue and gray) patients. The bar plots (bottom) showed the proportions of GrmB⁺ and Prf⁺ cells in (D) VEGF-R1/(E) VEGF-R2 ^±CD4 CTLs from GO and HC group (N = 3). Blue denoted HC VEGF-R1/2⁺ CD4 CTLs, red was GO VEGF-R1/2⁺ CD4 CTLs, gray was HC VEGF-R1/2⁻ CD4 CTLs and black was GO VEGF-R1/2⁻ CD4 CTLs. Error bars showed SEM. The data were representative of at least three biological replicates. HC: healthy control; GH: Graves hyperthyroidism; GO: Graves orbitopathy; Grm: granzyme; Prf: perforin; p-VEGF-R2: phosphorylated VEGF-R2. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001