Fig. 2

qRT-PCR analysis of selected genes in DLE lesional and normal skin. a–k RNA expression of general macrophage markers (CD163 and CD68) (a, b), M1 macrophage-related markers (CD127, TNF-α, CXCL10, STAT1, and CCL5) (c–g), and M2 macrophage-related markers (TGF-β, CD206, CD209, and arginase-1) (h–k) was compared in DLE lesional (n = 17) and normal (n = 12) skin via qRT-PCR. Multiple general and M1 macrophage-related markers were upregulated in DLE lesional skin. *P ≤ 0.05, **P ≤ 0.01, ***P ≤ 0.001, ****P ≤ 0.0001. CCL chemokine (C-C motif) ligand, CXCL chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand, DLE discoid lupus erythematosus, qRT-PCR quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, STAT signal transducer and activator of transcription, TGF-β transforming growth factor-beta, TNF-α tumor necrosis factor-alpha