title: Osteoclasts, pro-inflammatory cytokines, RANK-L and bone remodeling in rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: Inflammatory joint diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis tend to destroy joint cartilage and bone matrices. Since bone resorption is a common characteristic of rheumatoid arthritis, one of the cell types thought to play a vital role in the destruction of these matrices are the osteoclasts. Osteoclasts and osteoclastogenic factors such as inflammatory cytokines and RANK-L are present within inflamed joints, and osteoclastic bone resorptive activities are also displayed, further suggesting the possibility that osteoclasts are responsible for the joint cartilage and bone matrix damage observed in this joint disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology/Microbiology, Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Cente, Chicago, IL 60612, USA. Charles_Kaplan@rush.edu
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kaplan
authors.forename: Alison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Finnegan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000473:pathology*; D016723:Bone Remodeling / Q000502:physiology*; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000502:physiology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000502:physiology*; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000502:physiology*; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000502:physiology*; D053245:RANK Ligand; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D016207:Cytokines; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053245:RANK Ligand; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B; C505686:TNFRSF11A protein, human; C505688:TNFSF11 protein, human