Figure 1

Distribution of Relative Quantification (RQ) values for IL-2RA gene expression in whole blood of cynomolgus monkeys following ex vivo stimulation with rhuIL-21. Whole blood samples were obtained from 37 protein naive cynomolgus monkeys and stimulated ex vivo with rhuIL-21. IL-2RA gene expression was analyzed, as described in Materials and Methods. Relative quantification (RQ) of IL-2RA gene expression was performed using a vehicle control sample, as the calibrator. To confirm that rhuIL-21-induced gene expression was dependent on engagement of cynomolgus monkey IL-21R, separate whole blood aliquots (for six monkeys) were stimulated simultaneously with either rhuIL-21 and Ab-02 (squares) or with rhuIL-21 and control IgG (triangles), and individual animal and median (solid lines) RQ values were compared with those obtained for rhuIL-21 stimulation alone (circles; A). Histogram for the RQ values (B) and log₂-transformed RQ values (C) for 37 monkeys, as well as the fitting of these values into a Gaussian distribution (solid line) are shown. RQ_cutoff = 2.3 and is the minimum RQ required for the enrolment into the in vivo study.