Figure 3

Kinetics of MDSC appearance in the spleen relative to the changes in regulatory T cells and myeloid dendritic cells during sepsis. During sepsis, there are dramatic dynamic changes in the numbers of different regulatory cell populations. In the spleen of mice that survive a polymicrobial sepsis (cecal ligation and puncture), there is a rapid and transient increase in both the relative and absolute numbers of regulatory T cells (CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺), with a simultaneous loss of myeloid dendritic cells (CD11b⁺CD11c⁺). The response is transient, unlike the increases in both relative and absolute numbers of MDSCs (CD11b⁺GR-1⁺) which occur later and are much more sustained.