Relative frequency of marginal zone–type B cells. (A) Cells were gated on total live PBMC, then on CD19⁺CD27⁺IgM⁺ cells (first, second, and third panels, respectively). The 2 populations are defined as CD1c⁺CD21^high for marginal zone B cells and CD1c⁺CD21^low for precursor/activated MZ-like B cells (fourth panel). (B) Relative frequency of marginal zone B cells in rapid progressors (left panel), normal progressors (middle panel), and slow progressors (right panel). (C) Relative frequency of CD1c⁺CD21^low B cells in rapid progressors (left panel), normal progressors (middle panel), and slow progressors (right panel). The same values are used for HIV-negative donors in the left, middle, and right graphs to show this group as a control. Cell population percentages were compared with the Wilcoxon signed rank and Mann-Whitney U tests for pairwise comparisons of different phases of infection within each group and between the study groups, respectively. *P < .05; **P < .001. PI, postinfection; ART, antiretroviral treatment.