title: Stimulation of murine macrophage cathepsin B by serum from patients with rheumatoid arthritis: an indicator of disease activity.
abstract: Cultures of non-elicited mouse peritoneal macrophages were used as a test system to study the effect of sera from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) on intra-cellular cathepsin B activity of macrophages. Sequential sera obtained during and after pregnancy from six RA patients, and sera from six actively ill, non-pregnant RA patients were compared to six healthy female controls and 3rd trimester healthy women. Sera from actively ill RA patients (both pregnant and non-pregnant) caused macrophage cathepsin B levels significantly above normal controls, while intra-cellular activities of beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-glucosaminidase did not differ from the controls. A significant correlation between activity of RA and intracellular cathepsin B was found in pregnant patients. It is suggested that a factor (or factors) present in serum from patients with active RA causes a rise of intracellular cathepsin B in macrophages.
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000378:metabolism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood*; D002402:Cathepsin D; D002403:Cathepsins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D005260:Female; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000201:enzymology*; D051379:Mice; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005966:Glucuronidase; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase; D002403:Cathepsins; D002402:Cathepsin D