Figure 6

Double staining of CXCL12 and CD138 in salivary glands of pSS patients and non-SS controls. A) Double-staining with CD138 plasma cell marker (brown and CXCL12 (red) in a pSS patient with FS = 1, a pSS patient with FS = 4, in a subject with chronic inflammation and a subject with normal gland histology. Inserts represent higher magnifications of CD138+ plasma cells (brown) in contact with CXCL12 expressing cells (red). CXCL12 was detected on acinar and ductal epithelium in all three groups tested and on the mononuclear cells in pSS and chronically inflamed but not normal salivary glands. Plasma cells were in contact with both CXCL12 expressing epithelium and CXCL12 expressing cells. B) Expression of CXCL12 (blue) on adipocytes in a pSS patient with FS = 4. Plasma cells were in close contact with CXCL12 expressing adipocytes in pSS glands with high FS. C) Amount of CD138+ interstitial plasma cells in contact with CXCL12+ cells and D) Amount of CD138 positive cells in contact with CXCL12 positive cells in the focal infiltrates presented as number of cells per mm². Grey bars represent FS = 1 (n = 6), black bars represent FS ≥2 (n = 8), striped bars represent chronic inflammation (n = 5) and white bars represent normal gland histology (n = 5). Results presented as mean ± SEM. Statistical analyses determined by Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Student t-test (*P < 0.05 and ***P < 0.001).