Fig. 3.

MFG-E8 is decreased in inflammatory arthritis in mice and men. (A) MFG-E8 serum concentrations were measured in healthy mice (CO) and mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) 10 days after arthritis onset using an ELISA. Ten arthritic mice were treated with dexamethasone (CIAþDEX) starting at disease onset to treat inflammation. n = 7–10. (B) mRNA was isolated from the paws of CO and CIA mice, reverse transcribed, and subjected to qPCR analyses for tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and MFG-E8. Expression was normalized to β-actin. n = 6–8. (C) MFG-E8 serum concentrations were measured in healthy mice (CO) and mice with K/BxN serum transfer arthritis (STA) 4 days after arthritis onset using an ELISA. (D) Gene expression analyses of MFG-E8 in the paws of healthy and STA mice. n = 7–10. (E) MFG-E8 serum concentrations were measured in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA, n = 93) and 140 age-, sex-, and BMI-matched healthy controls (CO). (F–H) Follow-up analyses from 15 patients who initially had a high disease burden (first visit) and after successful treatment had a low disease activity at the second visit. (E) Disease activity as reflected by the clinical disease activity index (CDAI), (F) serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), (G) serum levels of MFG-E8. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001.