Fig. 2

Quantification, functionality, and co-receptor expression of exhausted CD8⁺ T cells and their subsets in NOD mice. A The frequencies of exhausted CD8⁺ T cells and their subsets were assessed in the draining lymph nodes and spleen of mice at ages 4, 9, 15, and 25 weeks (n = 6/group). B The frequencies of exhausted CD8⁺ T cells and their subsets in diabetic and non-diabetic NOD mice (n = 5/group). C The frequencies of exhausted CD8⁺ T cells and their subsets in the rapidly progressing non-diabetic NY8.3 mice and the slowly progressing non-diabetic NOD mice ages 10 weeks (n = 5/group). D–G Co-expression of immune checkpoints on exhausted CD8⁺ T subsets in NOD mice aged 8–13 weeks (n = 10/group). H, I T-bet and Eomes on exhausted CD8⁺ T subsets in NOD mice aged 8–13 weeks (n = 10/group). MFI, mean fluorescence intensity. A * P < 0.05; ** P < 0.01; ***0.001. ## P < 0.01; ### P < 0.001; #### P < 0.0001. * compare with 4 weeks in spleen; # compare with 4 weeks in lymph node. B–I *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01; ****P < 0.0001. One-way ANOVA, Tukey’s multiple comparisons test (A); Mann–Whitney test (B–I). Data are cumulative results from at least two independent experiments