Kinetics of the number of antigen-specific memory B-cells detected in the peripheral blood of infants after immunisation with different schedules of MenC conjugate vaccines, at each time-point following primary and booster vaccines, based on geometric mean concentrations for each study group at each visit.

<p>Kinetics of the number of antigen-specific memory B-cells detected in the peripheral blood of infants after immunisation with different schedules of MenC conjugate vaccines, at each time-point following primary and booster vaccines, based on geometric mean concentrations for each study group at each visit.</p

Number of MenC-specific memory B-cells (log₁₀ scale) detected in the peripheral blood of individual participants after immunisation with different schedules of MenC conjugate vaccines, at each time-point following infant primary and booster vaccines.

<p>Number of MenC-specific memory B-cells (log₁₀ scale) detected in the peripheral blood of individual participants after immunisation with different schedules of MenC conjugate vaccines, at each time-point following infant primary and booster vaccines.</p

Comparison between groups of the log₁₀ transformed number of MenC-specific memory B-cells detected in the peripheral blood at each visit.

<p>1-dose CRM: 1 dose MenC-CRM₁₉₇ at 3 months of age; 2-dose CRM: 2 doses of MenC-CRM₁₉₇ at 3 and 4 months of age; Control: No MenC primary vaccine doses; 1-dose TT: 1 dose MenC-TT at 3 months of age.</p><p>*Results of the analysis of pairs of groups are provided in Table S1 in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0101672#pone.0101672.s003" target="_blank">file S1</a>.</p

Proportion of MenC-specific memory B-cells out of the total pool of IgG positive memory B-cells detected in the peripheral blood at each time-point.

<p>IQR: Interquartile range.</p

Number of children enrolled and included in the final analysis for MenC-specific memory B-cells.

<p>Number of children enrolled and included in the final analysis for MenC-specific memory B-cells.</p

Schedule of study visits and procedures, including vaccines administered and timing of blood draws used to measure MenC-specific memory B-cells.

<p>Schedule of study visits and procedures, including vaccines administered and timing of blood draws used to measure MenC-specific memory B-cells.</p

Number of MenC-specific memory B-cells detected in the peripheral blood of infants 6 days after a Hib-MenC-TT booster at 12 months of age, according to different primary immunisation schedules (magnified from <b>Figure 3</b>).

<p>Number of MenC-specific memory B-cells detected in the peripheral blood of infants 6 days after a Hib-MenC-TT booster at 12 months of age, according to different primary immunisation schedules (magnified from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0101672#pone-0101672-g003" target="_blank"><b>Figure 3</b></a>).</p

Analysis of the CD16, CCR7, and CD57 surface expression on CD56⁺ NK cells.

<p>Flow cytometry relative quantification of CD56⁺ Lin⁻ NK cells (first panels) and of CD16 (second panels), CCR7 (third panels), and CD57 expression (lower panels) on CD56⁺ gated NK cells. HPS2 patients' (Pt1 and Pt2) data are representative of one of the four separate evaluations performed on peripheral blood lymphocytes in a two-year period and are compared with a representative normal subject (CTRL) of the healthy donor group.</p

Prf-positive cells in NLPHL.

<p>Lymph node sections are from Pt1 (a), Pt2 (b) and controls (c and d), stained for anti-Prf (a-d; brown) and anti-CD8 (inserts blue). An increased number of Prf+ CTL co-expressing CD8 (insert) are observed in NLPHL nodules from HPS2 patients compared to controls. Sections are counterstained with Meyer's haematoxylin and secondary antibodies revealed with DAB (Prf) or Ferangi blue (CD8). Original magnification: 200×(a–d) and 1000×(inserts).</p

CD107a expression and IFN-γ production by NK cells of HPS2 patients.

<p><b>A</b>, surface expression of CD107a in resting (upper panels) and IL-2 activated NK cells (lower panels) in a representative healthy donor (CTRL) of six distinct subjects analyzed and in HPS2 patients (Pt1 and Pt2). In each plot the bar defines the percentage of cells that express CD107a. <b>B</b>, IFN-γ–producing IL-2 NK cells were analyzed by flow cytometry. The percentage of IFN-γ producing CD56⁺ NK cells from a representative healthy donor (CTRL) of six distinct subjects analyzed and from patients (Pt1 and Pt2) is shown in un-stimulated conditions (<b>medium</b>), stimulated by PHA (<b>PHA</b>) and stimulated by NK susceptible K562 tumor target cells (<b>K562</b>). The percentages shown in the panels A and B are representative of an experiment repeated three times.</p