Figure 1.

Associations of arthritis activity with dyslipidemia are shown in 21 week-old K/BxN mice (old, n = 29; 17 male, 12 female; (A,B)) and 8 week-old K/BxN mice (young, n = 18; 7 male, 11 female; (C)), which were generated by cross of NOD-Ag7 females and KRN males. In data shown in panels A and B, mice were maintained on chow until 11 weeks at which time 15/29 mice (6 female, 9 male) were switched to an atherogenic diet until sacrifice at 21 weeks. The remaining 14/29 mice were maintained on a chow diet until 21 weeks. (A) Comparisons of joint scores and lipid measures between more arthritic males with less arthritic females as well as correlations of arthritic scores with lipid measures. Correlations are also shown of HDL’s anti-oxidant capacity measured by the HDL inflammatory index (HII) with other lipid measures. (B) Comparisons of joint scores and lipid measures between mice on atherogenic versus chow diets. (C) Young mice were maintained on a standard mouse chow diet until sacrifice at 8 weeks. Comparisons of joint scores and lipid measures between the more arthritic females versus less arthritic males are shown as well as correlations of arthritic scores with lipid measures. Correlations are also shown of HDL’s anti-oxidant capacity measured by the HII with other lipid measures. Group comparisons and correlations were performed as described in the statistical analysis section of the “Materials and methods”. Data represent Mean ± SEM in the graphs.