Effects of synovial fluid on the respiratory burst of granulocytes in rheumatoid arthritis

• Published in: Journal of cellular and molecular medicine Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 188 - 194
• Main Authors: Bostan, M., Brasoveanu, L. I., Livescu, A., Manda, G., Neagu, M., Iordachescu, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-04-2001; John Wiley & Sons, Inc
• Subjects: Arthritis, Rheumatoid - metabolism; Cells, Cultured; Chemiluminescence; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Formyl peptides; granulocytes; Granulocytes - metabolism; Humans; Inflammation; Leukocytes (granulocytic); Leukocytes (neutrophilic); Luminescent Measurements; Middle Aged; N-Formylmethionine Leucyl-Phenylalanine - pharmacology; Oxidative Stress; Peptides - pharmacology; Respiration; Respiratory Burst; Rheumatoid arthritis; superoxide anion; Superoxide anions; Synovial fluid; Synovial Fluid - metabolism; Synovium
• ISSN: 1582-1838; 1582-4934
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1582-4934.2001.tb00152.x

Neutrophil infiltration in the synovia is an important feature of the local inflammatory process associated with rheumatoid arthritis. The present study is focused on the effects exerted in vitro by the synovial fluid versus serum on the respiratory burst of granulocytes isolated either from blood or synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients. The respiratory burst was evaluated as superoxide anion release, by lucigenin‐amplified chemiluminescence. Our data show that the respiratory burst of granulocytes isolated from rheumatoid arthritis patients might trigger a significant oxidative stress both in periphery and the inflamed joint. These cells show no pathological pattern when activated in vitro by the chemotactic peptide fMLP, heterologous synovial fluid or serum. Acellular synovial fluid amplifies the superoxide anion release induced by fMLP more than the corresponding serum, indicating that a bacterian infection in the joint might enhance the oxidative damage in the inflamed synovium.