Fig. 3

Serum, liver, and joints were collected from each group of mice at the end point of the experiment. a The mRNA expression of C5 in the liver was measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. b Serum concentrations of C5a were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. c, d Relationship between C5a levels and arthritis score or anti–Porphyromonas gingivalis antibody titers in the Pg/LA group. e–l Representative immunohistochemical images of C5a in the ankle joint. m The C5a-positive area was measured by ImageJ (n = 6 per group). Data represent the mean ± standard error of the mean. Statistical analyses were performed by Tukey-Kramer test, Pearson’s correlation coefficient (d), and Spearman’s correlation coefficient (c) (*P <0.05). Abbreviations: Ctrl control, LA laminarin, OD optical density, Pg Porphyromonas gingivalis