FIGURE 3 Proportion (%) of the T helper (Th) cells in the
CD4+CD45RA- memory populations after
intralymphatic immunotherapy with birch and/or 5-grass allergen. Blood
samples were collected at three timepoints: screening, one year after,
and three years after treatment had finished. The proportion of Th1
cells, defined as
CD3+CD4+CD45RA-Tbet+cells, decreased over time after treatment in the groups receiving birch
and placebo (a) and in the group receiving grass and placebo (b). A
slight increase was observed between baseline and one year after
treatment in the group receiving both birch and grass allergen (c). The
proportion of Th2 cells, defined as
CD3+CD4+CD45RA-GATA3+ cells, increased
between baseline and three years after treatment in the group receiving
birch (d), not in the group receiving grass and placebo. Furthermore,
Th2 cells increased three years after treatment in the group receiving
both treatments (f). The proportion of Th17 cells, defined as
CD3+CD4+CD45RA-RORC+ cells, decreased
between all timepoints in the treatment group receiving birch and
placebo (g). The treatment groups receiving grass and placebo treatment
(h) and birch and grass treatment (i) had similar changes; the
proportion decreased between baseline and three years after treatment. A
decrease was also observed between one year after and three years after
treatment had finished. p* < 0.05; p** < 0.01; p***
< 0.001 from Wilcoxon signed rank tests. The lines indicate
median and interquartile range (IQR, 25th and
75th percentile values).