Figure 3

Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of cell surface molecule expression in monocyte-derived macrophages and dendritic cells stimulated with CpG-ODN for 14–16 hours after 5 days of culture ex vivo. Results are depicted for adult horses (A, n = 7) and foals (B, n = 7) of different ages. Although there was no specific effect of CpG-ODN or LPS stimulation in adult horse or foal cells, there was an age-dependent limitation in the expression of MHC class II on macrophage and dendritic cells of foals. The median fluorescences of the MHC class II molecule in non-stimulated foal macrophages and DCs at birth were 12.5× (p = 0.009) and 11.2× (p = 0.009) inferior, respectively, than adult horse cells, and 2.6× (p = 0.31) and 1.3× (p = 0.37), respectively, at 3 months of life.