Fig. 2

The frequency of NKT cells in the peripheral blood of CTD-IP patients is increased accompanied by reduction of Tregs. a Gating on lymphocytes, flow cytometric analysis of CD3⁺ CD4⁺ T cells, CD3⁺ CD8⁺ T cells and CD3⁺ CD56⁺ cells in the peripheral blood of healthy controls and patients with CTD-IP. b–e) scatter plots of the percentage of CD3⁺ CD4⁺ T cells, CD3⁺ CD8⁺ T cells and CD3⁺ CD56⁺ cells gating on lymphocytes, and CD25⁺ FOXP3⁺ cells gating on CD4⁺ cells in the peripheral blood of healthy controls (n = 23) and patients with CTD-IP (n = 28). * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01 for all comparisons between CTD-IP and control. NKT natural killer T cells, CTD-IP interstitial pneumonia in connective tissue disease, Tregs regulatory T cells