However, in DEREG mice where DT was administered at day 19 (i.e., shortly before arthritis induction by intra-articular injection of mBSA), the protective effect of IFN-α was totally abolished (Figure 1A), i.e., not significantly different compared with control DEREG mice receiving DT day 19 (Figure 1B) and significantly different from IFN-treated DEREG mice without depletion. This evidence concerns the gene IFNA1 and arthritic joint disease.