Phenotypic properties of supTh17.

<p>Phenotype of CD4^mem at baseline and of Th17, obtained from CD4^mem after 3-day exposure to IL-6+IL-1β+rTGF-β; iT-reg, obtained following exposure of Th17 to high concentration IL-2 and T-cell expander; and supTh17, obtained upon iT-reg exposure to IL-6+IL-1β+rTGF-β. Cell phenotype was determined in 12 healthy subjects. (A) Representative flow cytometry plots of CD4 (<i>X</i> axis) and IL-17, CD25 and FOXP3 (<i>Y</i> axis) fluorescence. (B) Representative histogram depicting RORC fluorescence in CD4^mem at baseline, Th17 and supTh17; representative flow cytometry plots of CD4 (<i>X</i> axis) and CCR6, IL-23R and IL-22 (<i>Y</i> axis) fluorescence. Compared to prototypic Th17, supTh17 display higher frequencies of IL-17⁺, FOXP3⁺ and IL-22⁺ lymphocytes, express similar levels of RORC and contain comparable numbers of CCR6⁺ cells.