title: Role of cytokines in gonarthrosis and knee prosthesis aseptic loosening.
abstract: Cytokines, which have been demonstrated in synovial fluids during various joint diseases, play an important role in mediating synovial inflammation and in regulating the immune response of many inflammatory processes. We studied synovial fluid, serum, and synovial fragments obtained from 33 patients--10 affected by serious gonarthrosis re-quiring a prosthetic implant, 8 with knee prosthesis aseptic loosening, and (as controls) 15 affected by degenerative meniscopathies--to evaluate the degree of inflammation and level of interleukins (IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10) and interferon gamma secretion. Histological analysis revealed slightly more infiltration by inflammatory cells in the synovial tissue of patients with gonarthrosis and knee prosthesis aseptic loosening than in that of the control group, with a high prevalence of macrophages. Moreover, we observed enhanced production of the studied cytokines, especially in synovial fluid as compared to serum, indicating that in the pathological conditions examined the inflammatory events are mainly localized. Because the role of these cytokines is to modulate inflammation, better knowledge of the involvement of cells and their soluble mediators in articular damage could guide immunomodulating treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Immunology, and Infectious Diseases, Section of Allergology and Clinical Immunology, Policlinico, University of Bari, Piazza G. Cesare, 20124 Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Paola
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Loria
authors.forename: Porzia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dambra
authors.forename: Biagio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Moretti
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patella
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Capuzzimati
authors.forename: Elsa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.forename: Eustachio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nettis
authors.forename: Vito
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pesce
authors.forename: Adriana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dell'Osso
authors.forename: Carmelo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simone
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tursi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001168:Arthritis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000032:analysis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000032:analysis; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007720:Knee Prosthesis; D008297:Male; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D016753:Interleukin-10; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma