Fig. 1.

IL6 levels are accumulated in DMD patients and mdx mouse model.

(A) Immunofluorescence staining of healthy human (left panel) and DMD (right panel) muscle biopsies immunolabeled with a rabbit anti-human nidogen (red) together with a mouse anti human IL6 (green). Images are representative of 29 experiments. Scale bar, 50 μm. (B) Expression of Il6 was evaluated by real time PCR in diaphragms of indicated genotypes at 4 weeks of age. Values represent mean ± SEM; n = 5. p value by Mann–Whitney test. (C) Western blot analysis (right panel shows a representative image) for active phospho-Stat3 (Tyr705) and total Stat3 protein performed on diaphragm muscles of wild type (WT) and mdx mice of 4 weeks of age. Values represent mean ± SEM; n = 6 to 9 per group. p value by Mann–Whitney test. (D) IL6 serum levels in healthy controls, untreated DMD patients and in DMD patients treated with corticosteroids. Values represent medians. n = 22 to 26 per group; NS = not significant. *p = 0.005; **p = 0.0001 by Mann–Whitney Rank Sum test.