Figure 4.

Heat map diagram of differential gene expression in joints from the time course study in the streptococcal cell wall (SCW)-induced arthritis in Lewis (LEW/N) rat. Gene expression data were obtained using Affymetrix Rat Genome RAE230A GeneChip^®. The cluster diagram represents 631 differentially expressed probes with P < 0.01 and Delta > 1.8. Each column represents a single joint tissue and each row represents a single gene. Expression levels are coloured green for low intensities and red for high intensities (see scale at the top left corner). At the top of the cluster diagram is an enlarged panel including the names and hierarchical clustering order of the individual samples analyzed. Red names are joint tissues from SCW-injected animals, indicating the corresponding time point of sample collection, and blue names are the samples from the phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) control groups. As shown, the major changes in gene expression occurred in samples corresponding to arthritic animals from days -13.8 (4 hours after intra-articular injection of SCW), -13 and 3. N, naïve animals.