Figure 5.

Analysis of STEAP mRNA expression by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and synovia of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients and healthy subjects (HC) and immunohistochemistry for STEAP4 in RA synovium. (a) The expression of STEAP4 mRNA and other family members (STEAP2 and STEAP3 mRNAs) was analyzed in PBMCs (RA and HC) and RA synovium using RT-PCR. In PBMCs, STEAP4 mRNA was detected in a patient with RA (1/3). Surprisingly, STEAP4 mRNA was highly expressed in all four RA synovia whereas only faint staining was noted for other members of the STEAP family. (b) The expression of STEAP4 mRNA in synovium with RA and osteoarthritis (OA) patients. STEAP4 mRNA expression was not statistically different between the RA and OA groups. (c) Co-localization of STEAP4 and CD68 in RA synovium. Images of immunohistochemistry using 4'-6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI), fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-anti-STEAP4, and rhodamine-anti-CD68 and a merged image are shown in the middle panels, and images with conjugated control Ig are shown in the bottom panels. Consecutive hematoxylin-and-eosin staining is shown in the top panel. GAPDH, glyceraldehydes-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; n.s., not significant; STEAP, six-transmembrane epithelial antigen of the prostate.