Reactions were processed in a DNA thermal cycler (Perkin-Elmer Cetus, Norwalk, CT, USA) through cycles for 30 s of denaturation at 94°C, 1 min of annealing at 56°C for GAPDH and IL-17, followed by 1 min of elongation at 72°C. PCR rounds were repeated for 25 cycles each for both GAPDH and IL-17; this was determined as falling within the exponential phase of amplification for each molecule.