Effects of the RANKL-stimulated MRL/lpr DCs transfer on autoimmune arthritis. BMDCs pulsed with CII and stimulated with RANKL were transferred into MRL/lpr recipients (4 weeks of age). The recipient MRL/lpr mice were analyzed at 8 to 16 weeks of age. (A) Histologic score of autoimmune arthritis in MRL/lpr mice transferred with RANKL-stimulated MRL/lpr DCs was evaluated compared with control mice until 16 weeks of age. Data are means ± SD of 5 to 7 mice in each group. *P > .05; **P > .01, MRL^+/+ DCs versus MRL/lpr DCs transferred. (B) Histologic analysis of autoimmune lesions from MRL/lpr mice transferred with RANKL-stimulated MRL/lpr DCs and MRL^+/+ DCs at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age was performed. The sections of joints from the recipients were stained with HE. Data are representative of 5 to 7 mice in each group. (C) RF, anti-CII antibodies, and anti-dsDNA antibodies of sera from the recipients at 16 weeks of age were detected by ELISA. (D) The secretions of IFNγ, IL-2, and IL-4 in the supernatants from ILN T cells stimulated with anti-CD3 mAb were detected by ELISA. Data are means ± SD of triplicate samples and are representative of 5 to 7 mice in each group. *P > .05; **P > .01, MRL^+/+ DCs versus MRL/lpr DCs transferred.