Article Figures & Data
Figures
- FIG. 1.
Immunoglobulin production in duodenal biopsy specimens of Whipple's disease patients compared to healthy subjects, as evidenced by exemplary immunostaining of IgA (colored in red). (A) High number of IgA+ plasma cells in a healthy control; (B and C) low number of IgA+ plasma cells in a Whipple's disease patient before the start of treatment (B) and in the same Whipple's disease patient after 6 months of antimicrobial treatment (C).
- FIG. 2.
Percentage of immunoglobulin-producing plasma cells among all plasma cells in duodenal biopsy specimens from Whipple's disease (WD) patients and healthy controls as determined by immunohistochemistry. (A) Percentage of IgA+ plasma cells; (B) percentage of IgG+ plasma cells; (C) percentage of IgM+ plasma cells. Individual values, medians, and interquartile ranges are shown, and P values were determined by using the Mann-Whitney test.
- FIG. 3.
Immunoglobulin concentrations in supernatants of duodenal biopsy specimens obtained from healthy subjects and Whipple's disease patients during or after antimicrobial treatment. (A) IgA; (B) IgG2; (C) IgM. Individual values, medians, and interquartile ranges are shown, and P values were determined by using the Mann-Whitney test. WD, Whipple's disease.
- FIG. 4.
Western blot for T. whipplei-specific immunoglobulins. Exemplary Western blots of T. whipplei-specific IgA (lane 1) and IgG (lane 2) in the serum from a Whipple's disease (WD) patient (positive control), secretory IgA in biopsy specimen supernatants from three healthy controls (lanes 3 to 5), and secretory IgA in biopsy specimen supernatants from three Whipple's disease patients (lanes 6 to 8). Arrowheads indicate T. whipplei-antigens recognized by the respective supernatants and sera used as positive controls. C1 to C3, healthy subjects; WD1 to WD3, Whipple's disease patients.
