Table 1.

Clinical characteristics of Murphy Roths Large (MRL)/lpr and BALB/c mice before treatment

	MRL/lpr (n = 30)			BALB/c
	Mild (n = 10)	Moderate (n = 10)	Severe (n = 10)	Normal (n = 10)
Clinical assessment
Body weight, mean ± s.d., g	46·8 ± 7·6&&&	44·8 ± 5·4***	46·4 ± 7·3###	19·2 ± 0·3
Joint swelling, mean ± s.d., μm	89·6 ± 7·1&&	89·6 ± 10·2*	89·8 ± 16·3	80·7 ± 4·2
Lupus flare score, mean ± s.d.	0·6 ± 0·5	1·1 ± 0·6***	2·2 ± 0·4###	0
Proteinuria score, mean ± s.d.	1·3 ± 0·5&&&	2·8 ± 0·4***	4·2 ± 0·4###	0·3 ± 0·5
Leucocyturia score, mean ± s.d.	0·4 ± 1·0	1·7 ± 1·2*	2·3 ± 0·5###	0
Lymphadenopathy, no. (%)	10/10 (100%)&&&	10/10 (100%)***	10/10 (100%)###	0/10 (0%)

Joint swelling was measured in three joints of each hind paw (tarsus joint); leucocytuira score was determined by a four-point scale (0–3, where 0 was normal and 3 was severe). No. (%) = percentage of mice that had lymphadenopathy among each group; s.d. = standard deviation; MRL/lpr = MRL/MpJ-Fas^lpr/2J; mild = mice with mild disease activity [mild systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), proteinuria score 0–1, age 12–15 weeks]; moderate: moderate disease activity (moderate SLE, proteinuria score 2–3, age 16–19 weeks); severe: high disease activity (severe SLE, proteinuria score 4–5, age 20–24 weeks); and normal: age- and sex-matched healthy BALB/c normal control mice (age 20–24 weeks).

^&P < 0·05, ^&&P < 0·01, ^&&&P < 0·001, comparing between control and mild SLE mice.

^*P < 0·05, ^**P < 0·01, ^***P < 0·001, comparing between control sand moderate SLE mice.

^#P < 0·05, ^##P < 0·01, ^###P < 0·001, comparing between control and severe SLE mice.