KIT and arthritic joint disease: As conclusions from our studies with TNF-tg x cKit-/- mice are confounded by potential unaccounted defects during development and disruption of CD117/c-KIT and SCF/c-KIT signaling pathways in various organs (38), we aimed to corroborate our findings with pharmacological mast cell inhibition studies in adult TNF-tg mice with inflammatory-erosive arthritis.