Figure 1.

The effect of interleukin-27 (IL-27) on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) development. After primary immunization, DBA/1J mice were rapidly injected intravenously with 100 μg IL-27-Fc in 2 ml saline within 5 seconds. After 8 and 10 days, the mice were injected intramuscularly with 100 μg IL-27-Fc in the left and right legs, respectively, by electroporation. The (a) clinical score and (b) incidence rate of disease is shown for both CIA and IL-27-Fc-treated mice over time. Data are representative of three independent experiments with five per group (error bars, SD). (c) The degree of inflammation and cartilage damage is shown for representative joint sections from each group of mice. (d) The concentrations of total and type II collagen (CII)-specific IgG and IgG2a were determined by ELISA. (e) Representative images show the tibiotalar joints of CIA and IL-27-Fc-treated mice, which were subject to immunohistochemical staining for nitrotyrosine, nuclear factor of activated T cells c1 (NFATc1), receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK), low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4), T-cell factor 3 (TCF3), and SRY-box containing gene 6 (SOX6) (magnification, × 400). *P < 0·05; **P < 0·01; ***P < 0·001, compared with CIA mice.