Figure 1.

MFG-E8 is essential for human SLE and mice with pristane-induced lupus. (a) The serum MFG-E8 concentration from 35 healthy controls and 51 active SLE patients were measured by ELISA. (b) After a 24-week pristane exposure, the serum levels of MFG-E8 in WT mice were detected by ELISA; MFG-E8 concentrations in BALF and peritoneal cavity of WT mice exposed to pristane for 2 weeks were determined by ELISA (n=10–12 mice per group). (c) Western blotting of MFG-E8 expression in the lung tissues of WT mice injected PBS or pristane for 2 weeks. Mouse MFG-E8 was detected as ~68 and ~58 kD protein in SDS-PAGE. (d) Quantified BAL total cells, BAL PMNs and macrophages at 0 h, 16 h, and on days 5, 10 and 14 by flow cytometer analysis (n=8–12 mice per group). (e) Pathology of the lung tissues from Mfge8^−/− mice and WT mice with H&E staining, each group of which was injected PBS or pristane for 14 days, were shown (n=10–12 mice per group). Representative images were displayed, original magnification × 100 and × 400. Prevalence of DPH and DPH score were estimated based on H&E staining; total proteins in BALF were detected with ELISA. (f) The cytokines IL-6, IL-12/IL-23p40, TNF-α and TGF-β1 concentrations in BAL were determined with ELISA on day 14 after pristane injection (n=10–12 mice per group). For all experiments, data are presented as means±S.E.M., *P<0.05, **P<0.01; ns, not significant