0000000000223263
AUTHOR
Juliane K. Franz
T cell-independent joint destruction
Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a chronic systemic disorder of unknown etiology. Although, early and late stages of the disease may be driven by different processes, affected joints are characterized by inflammation, synovial hyperplasia, and abnormal immune responses [1]. The abundance of T cells within the rheumatoid synovium as well as the association of certain major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules with RA [2] implied a central role for T cells in the pathophysiology of the disease. However, recent advances in molecular biology have fostered new concepts for the pathogenesis of RA. Specifically, the investigation of early stages of disease, the development of novel anim…
Expression of osteopontin messenger RNA and protein in rheumatoid arthritis: Effects of osteopontin on the release of collagenase 1 from articular chondrocytes and synovial fibroblasts
Objective Osteopontin (OPN) is an extracellular matrix protein that has been implicated in the interactions between tumor cells and host matrix, including those involved in invasion and spread of tumor cells. Because joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is mediated by the invasive growth of synovial tissue through its attachment to cartilage, we examined the expression of OPN in the synovia of patients with RA and the effect of OPN on the production of collagenase 1 in rheumatoid synovial fibroblasts and articular chondrocytes. Methods The expression of OPN messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein in synovia from 10 RA patients was examined by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistr…