Cytokine profiling in acute anterior cruciate ligament injury.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the presence and relative concentrations of cytokines, known to be involved in the inflammatory cascade, in acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.


METHODS
We evaluated an extensive cytokine profile in synovial fluid from 12 patients with acute ACL injury undergoing arthroscopy compared with 15 control subjects using a BioPlex assay (Bio-Rad Laboratories, Hercules, CA) to measure the concentration of 17 inflammatory cytokines.


RESULTS
In patients with acute ACL injury compared with asymptomatic control subjects, the following cytokines were identified at significantly increased concentrations (P < .001, Mann-Whitney U test) compared with control samples: interleukin 6 (105 ± 72 v 0 ± 0 pg/ml), interferon γ (1,544 ± 608 v 9 ± 7.5 pg/ml), macrophage inflammatory protein 1β (16 ± 3.8 v 0.3 ± 0.2 pg/ml), and monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (35 ± 13 v 0.5 ± 0.4 pg/ml). There was no case of a cytokine exhibiting increased levels in asymptomatic compared with symptomatic knee samples.


CONCLUSIONS
This investigation identified 4 specific cytokines (interleukin 6, interferon γ, monocyte chemotactic protein 1, and macrophage inflammatory protein 1β) out of a panel of 17 inflammatory molecules for which the levels were consistently elevated in the context of ACL injury compared with non-painful, non-acutely injured knees in a volunteer population.


METHODS
Level IV, prognostic case series.
Cuellar
Vanessa G
VG
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, NYU Hospital for Joint Diseases, New York, New York, USA.
Cuellar
Jason M
JM
Golish
S Raymond
SR
Yeomans
David C
DC
Scuderi
Gaetano J
GJ
D000328:Adult; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000378:metabolism; D054407:Chemokine CCL4 / Q000378:metabolism; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000378:metabolism; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018579:Patient Selection; D012016:Reference Values; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D055815:Young Adult
D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D054407:Chemokine CCL4; D016207:Cytokines; D016209:Interleukin-8; D007378:Interleukins; D007371:Interferon-gamma