PMID: 11908553Mar 23, 2002Paper

Norepinephrine from synovial tyrosine hydroxylase positive cells is a strong indicator of synovial inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis

The Journal of Rheumatology
Luitpold E MillerR H Straub

Abstract

Density of sympathetic nerve fibers in synovial tissue was lower in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared to those with osteoarthritis (OA). This was accompanied by norepinephrine (NE) release from synovial tyrosine hydroxylase positive cells (TH+ cells). We investigated the role of TH+ cells and NE in synovial inflammation. Synovial tissue of 34 patients with RA and 36 with OA who underwent knee joint replacement surgery was characterized using immunohistochemistry and a synovial tissue superfusion technique, respectively. In culture experiments with mixed synoviocytes, the effect of NE on secretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL-8, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), and matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) was investigated. Tissue density of TH+ cells was higher in RA compared to OA (63.9 vs 34.2 cells/mm2; p = 0.017). Basal NE release from synovial tissue correlated highly significantly with density of TH+ cells in RA (Rrank = 0.573, p = 0.001) but not in OA (Rrank = 0.102, NS). Basal NE release correlated with the degree of inflammation in RA (Rrank = 0.420, p = 0.021) but not in OA (Rrank = 0.174, NS), and with spontaneous IL-8 secretion in RA (Rrank = 0.581, p = 0.001) but not in OA (Rrank = 0.160, NS). Only in RA, densit...Continue Reading

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