Fig. 4

Augmented mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cell-activating capacity of monocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). a Monocytes or B cells were sorted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and cocultured with allogenic MAIT cells in the absence or presence of major histocompatibility complex class I-related protein ligand (MR1L; 10 μM). After 18 h, the surface expression of CD69 on MAIT cells was analyzed by flow cytometry (a), and the cytokine levels in the culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or Bio-Plex assay (b). Each symbol represents the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD69 on cells (a) or the concentration of interleukin (IL)-12 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (b) from cultures with antigen-presenting cells from healthy control subjects (HCs), patients with SLE with inactive disease (closed circles), or active disease (open triangles). Data from the same experiment are connected by lines. Statistical analysis was performed using the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test, * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01