Fig. 8

ELISA of serum changes in the study groups. Levels of IL-23 (a), IL-17A (b), and TNF-α (c) increased remarkably in the IMQ groups compared with controls. Between the two IMQ groups, a conspicuous increasing trend could be seen in IL-17A and TNF-α in group B. (d) RBP4 accumulated gradually in the circulation with the application of IMQ. Groups A and B both showed significantly increased RBP4 levels. (e) STRA6 levels showed a profound increase after 3 days of IMQ application; by day 7, STRA6 levels were just slightly higher than controls. (f) Retinol levels were slightly elevated in group A, but there were no statistically significant differences in all groups