title: Expression of lactoferrin on neutrophil granulocytes from synovial fluid and peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To analyze lactoferrin expression on synovial fluid (SF) and peripheral blood neutrophils of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and to compare it with the lactoferrin expression on neutrophils from patients with osteoarthritis (OA).
  
  
  METHODS
  Paired samples of peripheral blood and SF were obtained from 14 patients with RA and 9 patients with OA. Lactoferrin expression was evaluated on cell surfaces by cytofluorimetric analysis utilizing both polyclonal antibodies and the monoclonal anti-lactoferrin antibody AGM 2.29. Data are presented as mean fluorescence intensity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In patients with RA, the expression of membrane lactoferrin was significantly increased on SF neutrophils in comparison with those in peripheral blood. This increase was found using both polyclonal antibodies and AGM 2.29 (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0017, respectively). In patients with OA, the difference was not significant. In addition, lactoferrin expression on SF neutrophils of patients with RA was significantly increased compared with that found on SF neutrophils of patients with OA (polyclonal antibodies, p = 0.0015; AGM 2.29, p = 0.005). In patients with RA, no correlation was found between lactoferrin expression and disease activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results provide evidence for an activation of neutrophil granulocytes at site of inflammation in RA and indicate that lactoferrin surface expression represents a reliable neutrophil activation marker.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinica Medica, Immunologia e Malattie Infettive, University of Bari, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Caccavo
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Garzia
authors.forename: Gian Domenico
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Sebastiani
authors.forename: Giovanni Maria
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Galluzzo
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vadacca
authors.forename: Amelia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rigon
authors.forename: Antonella
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Afeltra
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amoroso
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007781:Lactoferrin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018375:Neutrophil Activation; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000378:metabolism*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007781:Lactoferrin