Proinflammatory T cell polarization is already present in patients with early knee osteoarthritis

Table 4 Co-expression of CD4⁺ T cell surface marker/chemokine receptors in the peripheral blood (PB) and joint-derived samples (SF, SM)

	PB	SF	SM	p values
	PB	SF	SM	PB:SF	PB:SM	SF:SM
n	9	9	9
CD4⁺ T cells
CXCR3⁺/CCR5⁺	2.6 (0.9–3.1)	55.4 (53.1–74.9)	67.2 (46.9–88.9)	0.003**	0.008**	0.678
CCR3⁻/CCR4⁻	0.6 (0.3–1.0)	31.5 (16–40.1)	5.8 (1.1–18.0)	0.008**	0.021*	0.051
CCR3⁻	1.0 (0.5–2.1)	33.8 (18.2–50.9)	12.4 (6.1–27.2)	0.008**	0.008**	0.066
CCR4⁻	1.1 (0.4–1.3)	47.9 (27.8–52.2)	12.6 (3.8–28.6)	0.008**	0.011*	0.021*
CCR3⁺/CCR4⁺	14.9 (7.7–17.6)	12.0 (4.9–15.5)	48.4 (8.5–78.2)	0.593	0.051	0.038*
CXCR3⁻/CCR5⁻	11.2 (6.0–13.0)	0.14 (0.1–1.0)	0.08 (0–0.6)	0.008**	0.008**	0.594
CCR5⁻	14.3 (6.8–15.4)	1.2 (0.3–2.5)	2.0 (1.1–5.3)	0.008**	0.011*	0.260
CXCR3⁻	11.8 (6.2–14.5)	1.4 (0.6–4.2)	2.1 (0–3.1)	0.028*	0.011*	0.767
CD161⁺/CCR6⁺	3.2 (2.4–6.1)	12.2 (5.3–14.7)	16.8 (5.0–34.2)	0.003**	0.021*	0.594
CCR4⁻	1.2 (0.9–8.7)	5.1 (3.0–8.7)	2.2 (0.7–3.7)	0.011*	0.314	0.139

Sample number and percentage rates of CD4⁺ T cells stained double-positive for CXCR3 and CCR5 (preferentially expressed by Th1 cells), CCR3 and CCR4 (preferentially expressed by Th2 cells), and CCR6 and CD161 (preferentially expressed by Th17 cells) are shown for the peripheral blood (PB), synovial fluid (SF), and synovial membrane (SM) of patients with early knee OA. Further, percentage rates of double-positive CD4⁺ T cells (CD4⁺CXCR3⁺CCR5⁺ Th1, CD4⁺CCR3⁺CCR4⁺ Th2, CD4⁺CD161⁺CCR6⁺ Th17) being also negative for the surface markers of the respective other T cell subtype are listed. Data is shown as median (IQR). Significant differences are marked with asterisks: *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001

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