Increased numbers of Foxp3-positive regulatory T cells in gastritis, peptic ulcer and gastric adenocarcinoma

Figure 1 Immunohistochemistry of CD25, CD4, and Foxp3 in healthy controls, acute gastritis, chronic gastritis, intestinal metaplasia, and gastric cancer (original magnification, 400 ×). Immunohistochemistry of CD25 (left), CD4 (middle), and Foxp3 (right) in gastric mucosa from A: Healthy controls; B: Acute gastritis; C: Chronic gastritis; D: Intestinal metaplasia; E: Gastric cancer. CD4 and CD25 staining (brown) were found on the surface of T lymphocytes, and Foxp3 staining (brown) was located in the nucleus of T lymphocytes in lamina propria around glands.

Figure 2 CD25 expression correlates with Foxp3 expression in human T lymphocytes. A: Correlation between CD25⁺ and Foxp3⁺ cells from 22 healthy controls and 30 gastritis, 83 peptic ulcer, and 32 gastric cancer patients; B: Correlation between the ratio of CD25⁺/CD4⁺ and of Foxp3⁺/CD4⁺ cells. Data were analyzed by Spearman’s rank correlation.

Figure 3 Box plots for the number of CD25⁺, CD4⁺, and Foxp3⁺ cells, and the ratio of CD25⁺/CD4⁺ and Foxp3⁺/CD4⁺ in healthy controls, gastritis, peptic ulcer, and gastric cancer. Box plots for A: The number of CD25⁺ cells; B: The number of CD4⁺ cells; C: The number of Foxp3⁺ cells; D: The ratio of CD25⁺/CD4⁺; E: The ratio of Foxp3⁺/CD4⁺ in non-intestinal metaplasia areas of antral gastric mucosa from healthy controls (HC) and patients with gastritis (GS), peptic ulcer (PU), and gastric cancer (GC). Data were analyzed by the Mann-Whitney U test. ^aP < 0.05 and ^bP < 0.001.

Figure 4 Box plots for the ratio of CD25⁺/CD4⁺ and of Foxp3⁺/CD4⁺ according to acute inflammatory score, chronic inflammatory score, lymphoid follicle number, and Helicobacter pylori infection. Box plots for the ratio of CD25⁺/CD4⁺ and of Foxp3⁺/CD4⁺ according to A: Acute inflammatory score (AIS); B: Chronic inflammatory score (CIS); C: Lymphoid follicle number (LF); D: Helicobacter pylori infection. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. ^aP < 0.05 and ^bP < 0.001. HP: Helicobacter pylori.

Figure 5 Box plots for the number of CD25⁺, CD4⁺, and Foxp3⁺ cells, and the ratio of CD25⁺/CD4⁺ and of Foxp3⁺/CD4⁺ in gastritis and peptic ulcer patients with and without intestinal metaplasia. Box plots for A: The number of CD25⁺ cells; B: The number of CD4⁺ cells; C: The number of Foxp3⁺ cells; D: The ratio of CD25⁺/CD4⁺; E: The ratio of Foxp3⁺/CD4⁺ in non-intestinal metaplasia (IM) areas of antral gastric mucosa from gastritis (GS) and peptic ulcer (PU) patients with and without IM. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U test. ^aP < 0.05 and ^bP < 0.001.