CIA is inhibited in <i>Epas1</i>^+/− DBA/1J mice.

Abstract

<p>(A) Incidence and severity of CIA in WT and <i>Epas1</i>^+/− DBA/1J mice without (NI) and with CIA (<i>n</i> = 20 mice per group). (B) Typical paw images on day 60 after the first immunization and ankle thickness measured with a digital thickness caliper (<i>n</i> = 20 mice per group). (C) Type II collagen-specific autoantibody production under NI and CIA conditions in the sera of WT and <i>Epas1</i>^+/− DBA/1J mice (<i>n</i> = 12). (D) H&E staining and scoring of synovial inflammation (<i>n</i> = 10). (E) Representative images of safranin-O staining of articular cartilage, safranin-O/hematoxylin staining of the pannus, and immunofluorescence microscopy of CD31 in knee joints of WT and <i>Epas1</i>^+/− DBA/1J mice without (NI) and with CIA. (F) Quantification of results in (E). Mankin score (<i>n</i> = 12), pannus formation (<i>n</i> = 10), and number of blood vessels in the synovium (<i>n</i> = 10). Ca, cartilage; P, pannus; M, meniscus. Values are means ± SEM (*<i>p</i><0.01, **<i>p</i><0.001, ***<i>p</i><0.0005). Scale bar, 50 µm.</p