Fig. 2

Phenotypic features of NK cells from the peripheral blood of normal volunteers and peripheral blood, tumour and tumour-adjacent tissues of ESCC patients. a Peripheral blood-, tumour- and adjacent tissue-derived cell suspensions were stained with Abs to CD3, CD56, CD16, NKp30, NKp44, NKp46, NKG2D, CD226, NKG2A, and CD158b. NK cells were gated as CD3-CD56+ events, and the expression levels of CD16, NKp30, NKp44, NKp46, NKG2D, CD226, NKG2A, and CD158b were then analysed. b Symbols represent individual values from 9 to 21 ESCC patients or volunteers analysed individually, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001. Functional characteristics of NK cells in ESCC patients. c Representative dot plots of KI67, granzyme B, and perforin expression levels in NK cells from the peripheral blood of normal volunteers and paired patient blood, tumour-adjacent and tumour tissues from each ESCC patient. d Statistical analysis of KI67+, granzyme B+, and perforin+ NK cell percentages. Symbols represent individual values from 15 to 16 ESCC patients or volunteers analysed individually. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, and ****p < 0.0001. Each experiment was repeated three times