CD57 est également capable de médier des interactions cellulaires

CD57 est également capable de médier des interactions cellulaires homotypiques avec des glycolipides. Ainsi, à travers ses fonctions de molécule d’adhésion, CD57 participe à des phénomènes

de migration cellulaire faisant intervenir des interactions cellule-cellule et cellule-matrice extracellulaire. Elle intervient également dans le processus de réinnervation des muscles par les motoneurones [5]. Son niveau d’expression en surface est stable entre les clonotypes T CD8+ et ce, quel que Regorafenib in vitro soit leur niveau de maturation [6]. La population de lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+ inclut des lymphocytes T cytotoxiques ainsi que des lymphocytes T régulateurs. La molécule CD57 ne semble pas jouer un rôle LY294002 ic50 direct dans ces fonctions. Les lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+ doués de propriétés cytotoxiques expriment les marqueurs de cytotoxicité classiques comme la perforine, les granzymes A et B et la granulysine. Après stimulation avec un anticorps anti-CD3, ils sont capables de libérer ces substances

cytolytiques ; et de produire de grandes quantités de cytokines comme de l’interféron-γ et du tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α [7]. Ces lymphocytes sont également capables de sécréter de l’interleukine-5. Ils ont été ainsi été impliqués dans la survenue d’un tableau d’asthme chez certains patients [8]. Fossariinae Les lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+ peuvent également être régulateurs. Le surnageant des lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+ est ainsi capable d’inhiber l’activation polyclonale et les fonctions cytotoxiques des lymphocytes T ainsi que la production d’immunoglobulines chez l’individu sain [9]. À ce jour, les médiateurs de cette fonction immunorégulatrice restent à préciser. Les lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+ dans leur ensemble seraient impliqués dans l’inhibition des fonctions lymphocytaires T effectrices anti-infectieuses ou anti-tumorales ou encore dans l’homéostasie des lymphocytes T CD8+ dans leur ensemble afin d’en limiter l’expansion [10], [11], [12] and [13]. Ils semblent

être directement impliqués dans la réponse immunitaire adaptative anti-VIH alors qu’ils inhibent la réponse immunitaire en cas d’infection par le cytomégalovirus (CMV). Cette population peut également inhiber la génération de lymphocytes T cytotoxiques dirigés contre des lignées cellulaires autologues transformées par le virus Epstein Barr (EBV). Cet effet inhibiteur ne semble pas lié à des facteurs solubles ni à un effet cytotoxique direct exercé contre les lymphocytes transformés par l’EBV [10]. Ces lymphocytes disposent d’un répertoire du récepteur à l’antigène des lymphocytes T (TCR) limité avec une expression préférentielle de certaines chaînes Vβ comme les chaînes Vβ5 et Vβ13.

Breast milk also contains substantial amounts of intracellular ad

Breast milk also contains substantial amounts of intracellular adhesion molecule 1 and vascular adhesion molecule 1; low quantities of soluble S-selectin, l-selectin and CD14, which may mediate differentiation and growth of B cells [46]. Natural autoantibodies, thought to be important in the selection of the pre-immune B cell repertoire and in the development of immune tolerance,

are also detected in colostrum and in breast milk [48]. Recently, the beneficial effects of human oligosaccharides in prevention of neonatal diarrhoeal and respiratory tract infections have been highlighted [49] and [50]. Human breast milk is known to contain factors that can modulate toll-like receptor (TLR) Selleckchem PARP inhibitor signaling, including soluble TLR2, which can competitively inhibit signaling through membrane TLR2 [51], as well as a protein that inhibits TLR2-mediated and activates TLR4-mediated transcriptional responses

in human intestinal epithelial and mononuclear cells by an as-yet-unknown mechanism [52]. It has been speculated that reduced TLR2 responsiveness at birth may facilitate the normal establishment of beneficial Gram-positive bifidobacteria intestinal flora. Lipids present in human milk have been shown to inactivate GBS in vitro, providing additional benefit to protect from invasive infection at the mucosal surfaces [53]. Neonates have Rapamycin research buy low levels of SIgA and SIgM [54] thus protection from invasive pathogens enough at the mucosal surface relies on antibodies in breast milk. As antibody in breast milk is produced following antigenic stimulation of the maternal MALT and bronchial tree (bronchomammary pathway) [55], these antibodies are targeted to many infectious agents encountered by the mother both prior to birth and during the breastfeeding

period. It is currently hypothesized that SIgA represents the crucial primary protective component of breast milk [56] and [57]. SIgA protects against mucosal pathogens by immobilizing these, preventing their adherence to epithelial surfaces, or by neutralizing toxins or virulence factors. SIgA concentration is far higher in colostrum (12 mg/ml) than in that found in mature milk (1 mg/ml). A breastfed infant may ingest around 0.5–1.0 g of SIgA per day [40]. SIgA production is enhanced by Interleukin-6 (IL-6) whilst the production of secretory components is enhanced by TNF-α and TGF-β causes class switching towards B cells producing IgA [47], all of which are present in breast milk. SIgA antibodies present in breast milk are specific for numerous enteric and respiratory pathogens.

Chaque question est

cotée de 0 (aucune difficulté) à 5 (i

Chaque question est

cotée de 0 (aucune difficulté) à 5 (impossible à faire), avec un score total allant de 0 à 90. Il faut environ trois minutes pour le remplir. Nous avons Temozolomide évalué l’incapacité fonctionnelle de la main chez 50 patients souffrant de sclérodermie. Leur âge moyen était de 54 ± 12 ans et la durée d’évolution de la ScS de 11 ± 9 ans. Le score moyen de l’incapacité fonctionnelle de la main de Cochin était de 17 ± 16. Ce score était bien corrélé à la mobilité globale de la main et du poignet (mesurée par les indices de Keitel et Kapandji), à l’incapacité fonctionnelle globale (mesurée par le Health Assessment Questionnaire [HAQ]) et au handicap global (mesuré par l’échelle MACTAR). En revanche, il n’était pas corrélé à l’âge, à l’anxiété ou la dépression (mesurés par l’échelle HAD) ou à la durée d’évolution de la maladie. Enfin, l’incapacité fonctionnelle de la main de Cochin expliquait 75 % de l’incapacité fonctionnelle globale mesurée par le score HAQ. Ce questionnaire est en mesure d’évaluer les différences entre les patients ayant une forme diffuse ou limitée de Ruxolitinib cost ScS. Il peut également différencier ou non une atteinte articulaire des mains (arthralgies, arthrites, contractures en flexion) [29]. Nous avons

également mis en évidence l’impact des UD sur le handicap et la qualité de vie chez les patients atteints de ScS. Dans une étude menée chez 213 patients, un tiers d’entre eux avaient au moins un UD au moment de l’évaluation. Ces patients avaient des scores HAQ et un CHFS plus élevés, une limitation de la mobilité de la main et du poignet et

une altération de la composante psychique du SF36 [10]. Bien que non spécifiquement créé pour la ScS, le CHFS est utile pour prendre en charge les patients atteints de ScS. Il est facile à comprendre pour le patient, évalué rapidement et permet l’individualisation Cell press des patients avec atteinte articulaire et/ou une déficience microvasculaires de la main. En outre, il a montré une bonne sensibilité au changement chez les patients atteints de ScSet traités par un programme de rééducation de la main [29]. Le Hand Mobility Function ScaleS (HAMI), évaluant la mobilité de la main dans la sclérodermie, est un test basé sur la performance. Spécialement créé pour la ScS, c’est un outil fiable et valide [25]. Il est composé de neuf items et teste à la fois la flexion et l’extension des doigts, l’abduction du pouce, l’extension dorsale et la flexion du poignet, la pronation et la supination de l’avant-bras, la pince pouce-index et l’adduction des doigts. Les différentes zones du HAMIS explorées sont composées de poignées de différentes tailles et de différents mouvements, tous liés à des outils et des gestes qui font partie des activités quotidiennes.

Lorsqu’elle

devient pathogène, cette expansion se manifes

Lorsqu’elle

devient pathogène, cette expansion se manifeste alors par un tableau d’infiltration des tissus comme au cours du syndrome d’infiltration diffuse à lymphocytes T CD8+ chez les patient infecté par le VIH, dans un contexte de déficit immunitaire ou de maladie du greffon contre l’hôte. Ailleurs, elle peut s’associer à des cytopénies comme en particulier selleck chemical des neutropénies immunologiques. Une expansion de lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+ peut être mise en évidence à partir de l’étude des lymphocytes circulants, dont le phénotype peut montrer une augmentation de la population de lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+ qui représente alors plus de 30 % des lymphocytes totaux. Panobinostat mouse L’existence d’une hyperlymphocytose le plus souvent modérée est particulièrement évocatrice d’une expansion lymphocytaire T CD8+/CD57+. Cependant, un taux normal de lymphocytes totaux n’exclut pas le diagnostic et un phénotypage lymphocytaire doit être demandé si le tableau clinique est évocateur même si le taux de lymphocytes totaux est dans les limites de la normale. Le diagnostic d’expansion de lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+

peut également être anatomopathologique, à partir d’une biopsie d’organe infiltré [27]. Enfin, ces expansions doivent être distinguées des lymphoproliférations clonales à LGL (ou leucémies à LGL) qui sont des maladies malignes [2]. Dans toute situation où une expansion lymphocytaire T CD8+/CD57+ est importante, son interprétation doit inclure une analyse cytologique, une étude de la clonalité et éventuellement une analyse cytogénétique afin de ne pas méconnaître une leucémie à LGL. Au cours de l’infection par le VIH, la population

lymphocytaire T CD8+ s’expand précocement et le plus souvent transitoirement et s’intègre dans le cadre de la réponse immunitaire contre le virus. Un renouvellement accéléré des clones de lymphocytes T CD8+ anti-VIH permettrait Bay 11-7085 de remplacer les clonotypes CD57+ faisant l’objet d’un processus de sénescence réplicative. Leur activité immunomodulatrice pourrait contribuer à la survenue d’infections opportunistes et de néoplasies chez les sujets séropositifs pour le VIH avec un taux normal de lymphocytes T CD4+ et une charge virale indétectable [28]. Dans ce contexte, une expansion de lymphocytes T CD8+/CD57+ peut être à l’origine d’une hyperlymphocytose T CD8+ isolée (parfois découverte lors d’un phénotypage systématique) [29] ou s’intégrer dans le cadre d’un syndrome d’infiltration diffuse à lymphocytes T CD8+ (DILS). La frontière entre ces deux entités est difficile à cerner.

The smaller the effect of vaccine on progression to disease, the

The smaller the effect of vaccine on progression to disease, the more closely VE-acq can predict VE-disease (see Fig. 1). The consideration of NP carriage as part of the licensure pathway emerged from the need for a MDV3100 solubility dmso more direct measurement of vaccine efficacy to evaluate non-conjugate vaccines, new dosing schedules, expanded serotype coverage

and impact in varied geographic and epidemiological settings. Described by Professor David Goldblatt and Dr. Debby Bogaerts, there are advantages and disadvantages to the inclusion of NP carriage as a surrogate for disease protection in vaccine trials. NP carriage can serve as a functional biological assay that is relatively

easy to measure and that has a high negative predictive value of an individual’s risk for pneumococcal disease. VE-col also provides information about the population-level impact of vaccination because if there is no carriage, there is no risk of transmission of pneumococcus, and thus carriage prevention predicts the indirect effect of vaccine Selleck Androgen Receptor Antagonist introduction. Since NP carriage of pneumococcus is a more common outcome than disease endpoints, vaccine trials looking at carriage can be powered with smaller sample sizes. Some drawbacks to considering NP carriage data in vaccine trials include low positive predictive value of NP carriage as a surrogate marker for disease: not all serotypes causing IPD are detected regularly in NP sampling (e.g. serotypes 1 and 5) and not all carried serotypes are significant causes

of disease. Pneumococcal NP carriage itself is a dynamic event that is influenced by competing NP flora, immune fitness of the host, and density of colonization. These factors may present real differences in an individual’s risk for disease in a clinical trial setting. Adenylyl cyclase Finally, there are potential confounders in a clinical study of NP carriage that need to be considered a priori such as antibiotic use and the impact of breastfeeding. The implications for the pneumococcal licensure pathway – in fact for the licensure pathway for any vaccine based on a carrier state – involve advantages and disadvantages. Taking the potential pros and cons into account (summarized in Table 2), the use of NP carriage data as supporting evidence in the vaccine licensure pathway for those products with an articulated licensure mechanism is most likely to be least contentious as a way forward. At the start of the second day of the consultation, two specific questions were posed to vaccine manufacturers and regulators: (1) are there different approaches based on the pneumococcal vaccine product type to be licensed, e.g.

All adverse events (AEs) were coded according to the MedDRA adver

All adverse events (AEs) were coded according to the MedDRA adverse event dictionary (version 12.1) [27] and graded for severity using the FDA guidance document for the toxicity scale for healthy adult and adolescent volunteers enrolled in preventive vaccine clinical trials [28]. Screening samples were assessed using standard, non-validated HAI assays at Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School. All further immunogenicity assessments on sera of recruited volunteers from baseline (Day 0), Day 21 and Day 42 were performed on blinded samples, under GLP conditions, using validated HAI HTS assay assays at Southern Research

Institute (Birmingham, AL). In addition to A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) cross-reactive immunogenicity against A/Brisbane/10/10 (H1N1) and A/Georgia/01/13 (H1N1) was tested. All virus strains were purchased from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC; Atlanta, GA). An unblinded research coordinator randomly assigned subjects 1:1 to the adjuvanted or the non-adjuvanted group.

A computer-generated list (SAS® software, NC, USA) with randomly permutated block sizes of 4 and 6 was provided by SCRI. A sample size of 32 subjects per arm Adriamycin concentration was required to achieve the FDA criterion for seroconversion with a power of 80%, assuming an incidence of 65% [29]. To compensate for 20% drop-outs 40 subjects per arm were planned. The study was not powered to achieve the FDA criterion for seroprotection. The primary endpoint was seroconversion against A/California/07/2009 (H1N1) by HAI on Day 42, defined as either a pre-vaccination HAI titer <10 and a post vaccination HAI titer ≥40, or

a pre-vaccination HAI titer ≥10 and minimum four-fold rise in post-vaccination HAI titer. The co-secondary endpoint (with safety) was seroconversion on Day 21. In addition, geometric mean titers (GMT) and the percentage of subjects achieving seroprotection (HAI titer ≥40), Thymidine kinase were calculated, the latter only for subjects with baseline HAI titers <40. Geometric mean titer fold rise (GMR) was calculated and GMT and GMR were compared between groups on log-transformed HAI titers using the two-sample t-test [30], [31] and [32]. The 95% CIs of GMT and GMR were constructed by exponential transformation of related 95% CIs based on the log-transformed HAI titer data. Values shown are for the modified Intention-to-treat (ITT) population, not including two subjects that withdrew consent prior to receiving the first dose. AEs and severe AEs were summarized by treatment group with each subject counted once per AE category with the highest severity of treatment emergent AE (Day 0-Day 42). Of 156 healthy volunteers consented and screened, 84 were randomized to the treatment groups and scheduled to receive adjuvanted (n = 43) or non-adjuvanted (n = 41) vaccine.

One of the presumed concerns about HPV vaccine is the fear that a

One of the presumed concerns about HPV vaccine is the fear that adolescents will respond to vaccination with sexual risk compensation (also referred to as sexual disinhibition), initiating sexual activity at a younger age and/or reducing self-protective sexual behaviors. trans-isomer solubility dmso This issue has received considerable coverage in the U.S. and U.K. media (Abdelmutti and Hoffman-Goetz, 2010 and Forster et al., 2010) and parental concern about disinhibition has been found to be associated

with lower HPV vaccine acceptability (Zimet et al., 2008). However, post-licensure research has generally shown that fear about sexual disinhibition

is not frequently endorsed by parents as a major reason for non-vaccination (Ogilvie et al., 2010 and Schuler et al., 2011). In addition, several research studies have now been published that strongly suggest that risk compensation is not a post-vaccination problem (Bednarczyk et al., 2012, Cummings et al., 2012, Forster et al., 2012, Kahn et al., 2012, Liddon et al., 2012b and Mullins et al., 2012). One U.S. national cross-sectional study of 15–24 year old females found no evidence of sexual disinhibition in vaccinated compared MK0683 datasheet to unvaccinated females (Liddon et al., 2012b). Another cross-sectional study of 13–21 year old females who had just received their first dose of vaccine found that a large majority of participants recognized the need for ongoing safer sexual behaviors post-vaccination (Mullins et al., 2012). Similar findings were reported in a study of 16–23 year old mafosfamide HIV-infected young women (Kahn et al., 2012). A longitudinal study in the U.K. surveyed 16–17 year old girls before and after HPV vaccine was offered (Forster et al., 2012). After adjusting for baseline characteristics, participants who received vaccine were not more likely to have initiated sexual intercourse at

the time of the follow-up survey. Furthermore, among those who were sexually active, vaccination status was not predictive of frequency of condom use. Moreover, in a study of 14–17 year old girls that involved a comparison of 75 who were recruited after HPV vaccine licensure to 150 who were recruited prior to licensure, no difference was found in the rates of gonorrhea, chlamydia, and trichomonas infections (Cummings et al., 2012). The only difference in self-reported sexual behaviors was that the pre-licensure group had more instances of unprotected sexual intercourse than the post-licensure group, the opposite of what would have been predicted by risk-compensation theory.

There were no withdrawals related to an adverse event An additio

There were no withdrawals related to an adverse event. An additional 9 enrolled subjects did not receive a vaccine due to withdrawal of consent (n = 7), inappropriate enrollment (n = 1) or inability to obtain baseline serology (n = 1); all subjects who received a dose of

the vaccine were included in the safety analysis to the extent that data were available. A total of 279 participants (including the 9 participants selleck kinase inhibitor who were unvaccinated) were excluded from the per-protocol immunogenicity analysis. The main reason for exclusion was a missing prevaccination (n = 60) or postvaccination (n = 130) specimen. Ten subjects who received the wrong vaccine product were excluded from the immunogenicity analysis but included “as treated” in the safety analysis. Local or systemic adverse events after vaccination with

a single dose of MenACWY-CRM or MCV4 were common, reported by 60% and 51%, respectively (Table 3a and Table 3b). Erythema and pain were the most commonly reported injection-site reactions in both the 2–5 and 6–10 years age groups; in the 2–5 years age group, there were no differences between the vaccines. In the 6–10 years age group, significantly fewer participants reported pain after MenACWY-CRM than MCV4 (39% vs. 45%; p = 0.039). In contrast, fewer MCV4 than MenACWY-CRM recipients reported injection-site erythema (22% vs. 28%; p = 0.017). Severe pain or erythema >100 mm in the 6–10 years age group was unusual postvaccination with non significant trends toward higher rates of erythema post-MenACWY-CRM and pain post-MCV4. Rates of systemic adverse events were similar in recipients of MenACWY-CRM and MCV4 (Table LGK 974 3a and Table 3b). In the 2–5-year-old children, irritability was the most common reported systemic adverse event (21% and 22%, respectively), followed by sleepiness (16% and 18%, respectively);

fever ≥38 °C was only reported by 2% of participants. Linifanib (ABT-869) Headache was the most common systemic adverse event in the 6–10-year-old children, reported by 18% of MenACWY-CRM recipients and 13% of MCV4 recipients (p = 0.049). There were no differences between the groups for any other systemic adverse events. Most adverse events in the 2–5 and 6–10 years age groups were reported as mild; rates of severe adverse events never exceeded 2% for either vaccine. There were also no differences between the groups in the rates of non solicited adverse events between the MenACWY-CRM (26%) and the MCV4 (24%) groups (data not shown). Most of these adverse events (10% and 11%, respectively) were related to minor intercurrent infectious diseases such as upper respiratory tract infection. An adverse event was reported by 72% of two-dose recipients, likely reflecting receipt of an additional dose and thus two seven-day observation periods. In the two-dose group, adverse events were reported less frequently after the second dose (47%) compared to the first dose (63%).

Risk factors for pathology and risk factors for pain are likely t

Risk factors for pathology and risk factors for pain are likely to be different and will be distinguished in this section. Biomechanical

studies of painful tendons will not be discussed, as altered mechanics may be an outcome of having a painful patellar tendon, however, they would certainly be considered as part of a management paradigm. An increase in training volume and frequency has been associated with the onset of patellar tendinopathy in several studies.16 and 17 Clinically, this is the most common factor that triggers patellar tendinopathy. Other factors, such BKM120 manufacturer as change in surface density and shock absorption, may have an effect as well. Although harder surfaces can increase patellar tendinopathy symptoms,8 they

are less likely to be an issue nowadays as most indoor sport is now played on standard sprung wooden floors. Surface density and amount of shock absorption in both the shoes and the surface should still be considered, as athletes may be vulnerable when training on hard floors, athletic tracks, or surfaces with high horizontal traction. Several studies have attempted to identify specific anthropometric characteristics that may increase the risk of patellar tendinopathy symptoms. These characteristics include: height, weight, lower limb joint range of motion, leg length, body composition, lower limb alignment, Capmatinib mw and the length and strength of the hamstring and quadriceps. Thigh muscle length (shorter or less extensible quadriceps and hamstrings) has been associated with patellar tendinopathy,18, 19 and 20 whilst greater strength has been associated with reduced pain and improved function.18 Conversely, better knee extensor strength and jumping ability has been reported in athletes with patellar tendinopathy, especially in jumps involving energy storage.16 and 21 Young women, but not young men, with tendon pathology have been found to have a better vertical jump performance than those without pathology.20 Clinical observation aligns with

patellar tendinopathy being more prevalent among athletes 3-mercaptopyruvate sulfurtransferase with better jumping ability. Different lower limb kinematics and muscle recruitment order in horizontal landing phase have been associated with tendon pathology.22 Edwards et al demonstrated the horizontal braking force to place the highest load on the patellar tendon. They suggested that the compression through the patellofemoral joint and the patellar tendon and the tensile loading with the knee flexed all contribute to pathology in those with asymptomatic tendon pathology. Lower foot arch height,18 reduced ankle dorsiflexion,23 greater leg length discrepancy, and patella alta in men24 have each been associated with patellar tendinopathy. Boys and men are two to four times more likely to develop patellar tendinopathy than girls.16 and 25 Increased waist circumference in men is associated with greater prevalence of pathology on ultrasound.

We

wanted to determine if this same strategy was sufficie

We

wanted to determine if this same strategy was sufficiently sensitive to detect pMHC+ cells following DNA injection where small amounts of antigen are produced in vivo, in contrast to bolus injection of protein Ag. We were specifically interested in both the kinetics of appearance and the anatomical distribution of pMHC complex-bearing cells following pDNA injection. Flow cytometric analysis of live cells from pooled peripheral lymph nodes collected 3 days after pCI-EαRFP injection, revealed a small population of Y-Ae+CD11c+ cells, representing 0.34% of live cells (Fig. 6A, upper right quadrants). pCIneo-immunised mice and isotype (mIgG2b) controls showed only background staining (0.03% and 0.11%, respectively). The proportion of Y-Ae+CD11c+ cells in pCI-EαRFP-immunised mice (i.e. 0.34%) is comparable to that seen 3 days after PLX4032 ic50 immunisation with EαRFP protein, i.e. several days after the peak of pMHC complex display. Results from one experiment (n = 2) LY294002 chemical structure are shown in Fig. 6B and other experiments (n = 3) showed a similar trend. The percentage of Y-Ae+CD11c+ cells is higher in pCI-EαRFP-immunised mice compared to both pCIneo-immunised mice and for isotype control staining.

The percentage of Y-Ae+CD11c− cells in pCI-EαRFP-immunised mice was no different to that observed for pCIneo-immunised mice ( Fig. 6A, upper left quadrants), suggesting that the only cells that display pMHC complexes in DNA immunised mice are CD11c+ cells, presumably dendritic cells. This is in contrast to what we observed following EαRFP and EαGFP protein immunisation, where about 1% of live cells are Y-Ae+CD11c− ( Fig. 6 and Fig. 1). When we gated on CD11c+ cells from draining lymph nodes of pCI-EαRFP- and EαRFP protein-immunised mice at day 3 following injection, we observed that approximately 14% and 12% respectively of these CD11c+ cells were Y-Ae+ ( Fig. 6C). Although the percentage of CD11c+ cells displaying pMHC complexes was similar, the pattern of Y-Ae expression was quite different. We observed

a shift in Y-Ae expression for the entire population following EαRFP protein immunisation, relative to its’ isotype control, whereas only a discrete population was below positive following pCI-EαRFP injection. These cells were RFP− (data not shown), suggesting that the EαRFP protein had already been processed or was below the level that we could detect by flow cytometry. There was little change in Y-Ae expression following pCIneo immunisation. We could detect antigen GFP expression at the muscle injection site, 24 h after pDNA injection by immunofluorescence microscopy. GFP+ muscle cells could be easily distinguished from the autofluorescent oxidative fibres [20] (Fig. 7A and B) and were predominantly found in the vicinity of the injection site, as evidenced by the inflammatory infiltrate at the needle trajectory (Fig. 7B).