B cell cytokine expression in H. pylori-infected subjects and in healthy controls.

<p>(A) Percentages of total B cells expressing IL-2, IFN-g, TNF-a, and TGF-b in <i>H</i>. <i>pylori-</i>uninfected (N = 7), <i>H</i>.<i>pylori-</i>infected asymptomatic (N = 8), <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i>-infected smoking (N = 6), and <i>H</i>. <i>pylori</i>-infected obese (N = 6) subjects under unstimulated (without PMA/ionomycin) condition. (B) Representative dot plots of B cell intracellular cytokine staining without or with PMA/ionomycin stimulation, from an uninfected subject. The cytokine expressions of total B cells minus CD24⁺CD38⁺ B cells (non-CD24⁺CD38⁺ B cells) and that of CD24⁺CD38⁺ B cells were shown separately. (C) Percentages of IL-10-expressing, non-CD24⁺CD38⁺ B cells and CD24⁺CD38⁺ B cells in all study groups, under both unstimulated and PMA/ionomycin stimulated conditions. (D) Numbers of IL-10⁺ B cells in study groups, calculated by the percentage of IL-10-expressing cells in CD24⁺CD38⁺ B cells multiplied by the percentage of CD24⁺CD38⁺ in total B cells (as shown in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0134591#pone.0134591.g001" target="_blank">Fig 1C</a>). *: P< 0.05. **: P<0.01. ***: P<0.001. (Kruskal-Wallis one-way ANOVA and Dunn’s test). For dot plots, 5000 events in each gate were shown.