Figure 2.

Decreased kidney damage in activation-induced deaminase (AID) heterozygous MRL/lpr mice. A. urine protein was tested in mice at different ages as indicated. Results for the F₅ backcrossed mice are depicted in (a) (19 AID wild-type and 18 heterozygous MRL/lpr mice were used). (b) Proteinuria results for F₆ generation (15 AID wild-type and 15 heterozygous MRL/lpr mice were used). (c) The proportion of mice with high levels of C3 deposition measured as previously reported³⁶ is decreased in the heterozygotes and so are their kidney weights in the 16- to 18-week-old F₅ mice. Values from heterozygotes were compared to those in wild-type mice which were set at 1. (d) Electron microscopy of the kidney of AID heterozygous MRL/lpr mice reveal intact podocyte foot processes (black arrow) but macrophage infiltration (white arrows). (e) Anti-dsDNA immunoglobulin G in serum of 19 AID wild-type and 18 heterozygous MRL/lpr mice. The serum anti-dsDNA IgG data are representative of data presented previously.³⁶ All error bars depict standard errors.