Fig. 3From: Immunosuppressive therapy influences the accelerated age-dependent T-helper cell differentiation in systemic lupus erythematosus remission patientsChanges in the composition of the total regulatory T cell (Treg)/responder T cell (Tresp) pool with age in healthy volunteers (n = 94) and SLE patients (n = 78). The percentages of recent thymic emigrant (RTE) Tregs/Tresps, mature naive (MN) Tregs/Tresps, CD31+ memory Tregs/Tresps, and CD31− memory Tregs/Tresps were estimated within the total Treg/Tresp pool in both healthy volunteers (black diamonds) and SLE patients (red diamonds). The figures present the regression lines concerning the changes in the percentages of the different Treg/Tresp subsets with increasing age. Significant changes with age are marked by black p values (healthy volunteers) or red p values (SLE patients). Significantly decreased percentages (red downward arrow) of RTE Tregs, but increased percentages (red upward arrow) of CD31− memory Tregs within total Tregs, independently of age (marked by red p* values), suggest an enhanced differentiation of RTE Tregs into CD31− memory Tregs in SLE patients compared with healthy volunteers (a). Age-independent differences in the differentiation of RTE Tresps between healthy volunteers and SLE patients were not detected (b). The possible differentiation pathways of RTE Tregs/Tresps are illustrated by dashed arrows (c and d). The enhanced differentiation of RTE Tregs into CD31− memory Tregs is illustrated by a bold arrow (c). Details regarding the enhanced differentiation pathway of RTE Tregs via MN or CD31+ memory Tregs in SLE patients cannot be determined (d)Back to article page