(a) Sample correlation heatmap illustrating the relationship between each microRNA dataset compared to every other dataset. Colours represent the degree of correlation between comparisons, ranging from blue (weakest correlation) to red (strongest correlation). Abbreviations; young joint (YJ), old joint (OJ), Sham joint (SJ), destabilization of the medial meniscus/DMM joint (DJ), young serum (YS), old serum (OS), Sham serum (SS) and destabilization of the medial meniscus/DMM serum (DS). (b, c) Principal component analysis (PCA) plots of logarithm-transformed microRNA abundance data for PC1 vs. PC2 in (b) joint and (c) serum samples. Coloured regions demark 90% confidence regions. Colour difference separates groups (DMM, Sham, young and old); marker fullness separates cohorts (cohort 1, DMM/Sham; cohort 2, young/old). Legends to the main features are shown. Abbreviations; destabilization of medial meniscus (DMM). (For interpretation of the references to colour in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the Web version of this article.)