CXCR4 endocytosis and recycling in ICL CD4+ T cells. PBMCs from 3 independent healthy donors (H1, H3, and H4; □) and 3 ICL patients (P1, P3, and P4; ○) were cultured overnight in complete medium supplemented with 10% FCS, allowing CXCR4 re-expression at the surface of ICL cells, then incubated for 40 minutes with 200nM CXCL12 (treatment, t40/0, CXCR4 endocytosis), and further cultured for up to 120 minutes in the absence of CXCL12 (chase, t40/10 and above, CXCR4 recycling). The protein synthesis inhibitor CHX (50 μg/mL) was present throughout the experiment. Levels of membrane CXCR4 expression were assessed by flow cytometry in CD3+CD4+–gated T cells. Effects of IL-2 on CXCR4 endocytosis and recycling were evaluated in CD4+ T cells from healthy (■) and ICL (●) subjects. The kinetic of CXCR4 down-modulation in PBMCs recovered from P1 immediately after the course of IL-2 treatment was compared with that obtained in cells from H1 recovered the same day and left untreated (
). Displayed data are means of duplicate determinations and are expressed as percentages of CXCR4 expression (100% corresponding to CXCR4 expression at the surface of CD4+ T cells incubated in medium alone).