Figure 3
Correlations of BAFF (B-cell activation factor of the tumour necrosis factor family) and APRIL (a proliferation-inducing ligand). (a) Negative correlation of the B-cell frequency and APRIL levels in serum at baseline in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) (Spearman r [rs] = -0.8, p < 0.05). (b) There was also a correlation between the number of B cells and levels of APRIL in serum at baseline in the patients with RA (rs = -0.67, p < 0.05). (c) Moreover, a correlation between the disease activity score using 28 joint counts (DAS28) and circulating levels of BAFF at baseline in patients with RA was found (rs = 0.76, p < 0.05). Each dot represents a different patient, and the line illustrates the slope of r.