Fig. 4

Attenuation of RA pathology in Collagen Antibody-Induced Arthritis (CAIA) SMILE transgenic (SMILE Tg) mice. CAIA was induced in wild-type (WT) C57BL/6 mice and SMILE Tg mice. A The severity of symptoms in each paw was scored daily on a scale from 0 (no symptoms) to 4 (maximal level of symptoms) and the scores for four limbs were summed. B Ten days after CAIA induction, tissue sections form the paw and ankle joints of the mice were stained with H&E. Representative histological features are shown. The quantified levels of inflammation, bone damage, and cartilage damage are shown in the graphs. C The levels of total IgG and IgG2a antibodies in the serum of CAIA mice 10 days after the first immunization. D Representative immunohistochemistry images showing that SMILE overexpression alleviated RA in CAIA mice. SMILE overexpression inhibited the expressions of IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17 in CAIA mouse joints. Synovial sections from C57BL/6 and SMILE Tg mice stained for IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-17. Scale bar = 100 µm. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01. Every dots represent 1 mouse respectively