Figure 1. TWEAK controls disease activity in HDM-induced AD.

WT and TWEAK-deficient mice were treated epicutaneously with HDM on the shaved back for 23 days to induce AD-like disease. (a,b) TWEAK and Fn14 mRNA fold induction in WT mice relative to expression in skin from naive animals (Control). Combined results from three experiments. Each data point represents one individual mouse. (c) Representative Masson's trichrome staining of skin sections from WT and TWEAK^−/− animals treated with HDM or PBS control. Bar represents 200 μm. (d,e) Epidermal and dermal thickness measured on trichrome-stained sections. Results combined from three independent experiments. Each data point represents one animal. (f) IL-13 mRNA in skin lesions on day 23. Combined from two experiments. (g) IL-13 mRNA in skin biopsies (top), and frequency of IL-13 positive CD4⁺ T cells in skin-draining lymph nodes on day 7 (bottom). Four mice per group. (h) Total numbers of CD45⁺ cells (left top), CD45⁺CD11b⁺ monocytes (left bottom), and SigF⁺CD45⁺CD11b⁺Ly6G⁻ eosinophils (right top and bottom) in skin biopsies on day 23. Combined results from two experiments, with each data point one animal. Bars represent mean values. The Mann–Whitney U-test was performed to compare the groups. Asterisks indicate P<0.05. n.s. indicates nonsignificant differences.