Figure 6
Sex differences in serum levels of CII-specific IgG antibodies and T-bet mRNA expression in B cells in CIA rats. Serum was obtained at the peak of the clinical severity of CIA. (a) Line graph indicates the serum levels of anti-CII IgG in male and female rats, as shown by mean optical densities (OD) at 492 nm in ELISA anti-IgG reaction performed with increasing dilutions of the sera. (b) Scatter plots represent serum (1:100 dilution) levels (OD at 492 nm) of IgG1, IgG2a and IgG2b antibodies. (c) Scatter plots represent IgG2a/IgG1 and IgG2b/IgG1 antibody level ratios in male and female rats. (d) Scatter plot shows mRNA expression of T-bet in B cells purified from lymph nodes draining inflamed joints and nearby tissues (dLNs) from CII-immunized (at the peak of clinical severity of CIA) and from non-immunized male and female rats. Two-way ANOVA (sex x immunization) showed: a significant interaction between factors (F(1,24) = 18.41, p < 0.001) and a significant main effects of sex (F(1,24) = 20.88, p < 0.001) and immunization (F(1,24) = 156.2, p < 0.001). Multiplicity corrected p values are reported for Bonferroni tests. Data are presented as means ± SEM. Horizontal lines within scatter plots indicate mean values. n = 6–8 rats per group. **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001.
