Immunofluorescence indicating NLRC4 presence in tissue sections was quantified by National Institutes of Health ImageJ software (Schneider et al., 2012). The images were unstacked. Each image was split into channels, the threshold was set, and then the signal was measured. The numbers represent mean values from the output results. Abbreviations used: Ab, antibody; NAGM, normal-appearing gray matter; NAWM, normal-appearing white matter.