Additionally, measles neutralizing antibody (NAb) titres were obviously lower in the vaccine strain (Shanghai-191) group than in the wild-type measles group, and the MeV-NAb titres were not also correlated with the frequency of Tfh, ICOShigh Tfh, or PD-1high Tfh cells (Fig. in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from children with acute MeV infection. Results The frequencies of CXCR5+CD4+ Tfh, ICOShigh Tfh, and PD-1high Tfh cells in PBMCs and levels of IL-6 and IL-21 in plasma were significantly elevated in patients Clofilium tosylate with acute MeV infection. Moreover, a positive correlation was discovered among the frequency of ICOShigh Tfh cells, plasma levels of IL-21 and optical density (Male/female, Healthy controls, Measles virus, Normal, Month. a, 3 of 42 cases were unvaccinated in the study. In China, two doses of routine vaccination of measles were performed, the age of children was 8?months for the first dose, and the last booster vaccination was 18?~?24?months Elevated frequencies of Tfh cells in patients with acute MeV contamination To explore the potential role of Tfh cells in the peripheral blood of the patients with acute-phase MeV contamination, the frequencies of CD4+CXCR5+ Tfh, ICOShigh Tfh and PD-1high Tfh cells in PBMCs were detected by flow cytometry (Fig.?1a). The results indicated that this frequency of CD4+CXCR5+ Tfh cells was surprisingly increased in the patients with acute MeV infection in comparison with the HCs (Fig. ?(Fig.1b).1b). In addition, the frequencies of ICOShigh Tfh cells and PD-1high Tfh cells Clofilium tosylate were obviously increased in the patients with MeV contamination in comparison with the HCs (Fig. ?(Fig.1c,1c, d). Open in a separate window Fig. 1 Elevated frequency of CXCR5+CD4+ Tfh Clofilium tosylate cells in the peripheral blood of patients with acute MeV contamination. a The frequency of CXCR5+CD4+ Tfh cells with an ICOShigh and PD-1high phenotype in PBMCs from the patients with MeV contamination was detected using flow cytometry; b CXCR5+CD4+ Tfh cells in the patients with MeV contamination; c ICOShighCXCR5+CD4+ Tfh cells in the patients with MeV contamination; d PD-1highCXCR5+ Tfh cells in the patients with MeV contamination. The horizontal lines represent the means. ***, values of FRPHE plasma MeV-specific IgG antibody levels (Fig. S1). Additionally, measles neutralizing antibody (NAb) titres were obviously lower in the vaccine strain (Shanghai-191) group than in the wild-type measles group, and the MeV-NAb titres were not also correlated with the frequency of Tfh, ICOShigh Tfh, or PD-1high Tfh cells (Fig. S2). Open in a separate window Fig. 2 Correlation of plasma MeV-specific IgM values and circulating Tfh cells in MeV-infected patients. a Relationship of plasma MeV-specific IgM values and the percentage of Clofilium tosylate CXCR5+CD4+ Tfh cells; b Relationship of plasma MeV-specific IgM values and the percentage of ICOShigh Tfh cells; c Relationship of plasma MeV-specific IgM values and the percentage of PD-1high Tfh cells; d Different frequencies of CXCR5+CD4+ Tfh cells in the patients with unfavorable (N) and positive (P) plasma MeV-specific IgM antibody results; e Different frequencies of ICOShigh Tfh cells in the patients with unfavorable (N) and positive (P) plasma MeV-specific IgM antibody results; f Different frequencies of PD-1high Tfh cells in the patients with unfavorable (N) and positive (P) plasma MeV-specific IgM antibody results. ***, values of plasma MeV-specific IgM antibodies in the patients with acute-phase MeV contamination (Fig. ?(Fig.3c,3c, d, f); however, plasma IL-21 concentrations were not associated with the values of plasma MeV-specific IgG antibodies (data not shown). However, there was no correlation between the PD-1high Tfh cell frequency and plasma IL-21 concentration in these patients (Fig. ?(Fig.3e).3e). Additionally, plasma IL-6 levels were not significantly related to the frequency of Tfh cells, ICOShigh Tfh cells, or PD-1high Tfh cells or to the values of plasma MeV-specific IgM antibodies in the patients with acute-phase MeV contamination (data not shown). Open in a separate window Fig. 3 Correlations of cytokine levels and Tfh cells in the patients with MeV contamination. a, b Levels of plasma IL-21 and IL-6 in the patients with MeV contamination; c, d, e Relationships of plasma IL-21 concentrations with the frequencies of.