ILT2 expression in PBL from healthy control patients and SS patients.

(A) PCR analysis of ILT2-specific mRNA expression in patient and control PBLs. Complementary DNA was amplified with ILT2- and G3DH-specific primers with 30 and 35 cycles of PCR. Samples were analyzed in a 1.5% agarose gel stained with ethidium bromide. No significant differences were detected in levels of ILT2-specific mRNA between PBLs from control patients (T1 to T4) and SS patients (S1 to S4). (B) Intracellular expression of ILT2 in CD4⁺ PBLs from a SS patient (S3) and a healthy control donor (T3). Freshly isolated PBMCs were permeabilized or not and stained with ILT2/CD85j or an isotype-matched control mAb, followed by FITC-conjugated GAM Ig. After extensive washing and blocking with normal mouse Ig, PerCP-Cy5.5-conjugated anti-CD4 mAb was added. Only CD4⁺gated cells were analyzed. The histograms presented correspond to permeabilized anti-ILT2–stained CD4⁺ cells (thick line), permeabilized isotype control–stained CD4⁺ cells (dotted line), nonpermeabilized anti-ILT2–stained cells (thin line, shaded), and nonpermeabilized isotype control–stained cells (thin line, unshaded).