Fig. 2

Comparison of the median RQs of FOXP3 mRNA between healthy controls (HCR) and recipients. Recipients are divided into two subgroups of KTRs experiencing or not aTCMR. Controls represent the reference for RT-PCR. **Controls vs. baseline ACR-free KTRs: RQ=2.132, IQR=1.664-2.895 vs. RQ=1.630, IQR=1.072-2.367, p=0.005; and *ACR-positive KTRs: RQ=1.381, IQR=0.986-2.483, p=0.010. **** Controls vs. 15-day ACR-free KTRs: RQ=0.771, IQR=0.415-1.169 and ACR-positive KTRs: RQ=0.767, IQR=0.327-1.962, Wilcoxon signed rank p<0.001 and p=0.0002, respectively. The expression of FOXP3 at the time of ACR was lowest compared to baseline (RQ=0.445, IQR=0.360-0.636, p=0.035). The choice of the FOXP3 molecule as tolerance marker candidate was supported by evidence of a wide inter-individual variability in both healthy (min RQ: 1.326 - max: 4.612) and dialysis patients (min RQ: 0.362- max: 7.968). Abbreviations: ACR, acute cellular rejection; (fl- or sol)CTLA-4, (full-length or soluble) cytotoxic T lymphocyte-4 antigen; FOXP3, forkhead box P3; KTR, kidney transplant recipient; RQ, relative quantification; RT-PCR, real-time polymerase-chain reaction; ds, days; yr, year