DC-Based Immunotherapy Combined with Low-Dose Methotrexate Effective in the Treatment of Advanced CIA in Mice

Figure 3

Analysis of CII-specific splenocytes and the levels of CII-specific IgG and proinflammatory cytokines in CIA mice after a combination therapy. (a) Advanced CIA mice were treated with smDCs, MTX, or smDCs and MTX. Splenocytes were isolated from mice on day 77 after first CII injection and stimulated by culturing in the presence of CII (50 μg/mL) for 72 h. Cell proliferation was measured by an MTT assay. (b) Serum was collected from each mouse on day 77 after first CII injection. Anti-CII antibody (Ab) levels were measured by ELISA. (c) Serum samples were collected from normal controls and CIA mice at 77 days after first CII injection and anti-IL-17, TNF-α, IL-1β antibody (Ab) levels from serum were measured by ELISA. Statistical data are shown as mean ± SEM from more than 3 different sets of experiments. , , in Student’s -test.

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