title: Synovial colony-stimulating factor-1 mRNA expression in diffuse pigmented villonodular synovitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To delineate the molecular mechanisms underlying the process of the diffuse-type giant cell tumours, also called pigmented villonodular synovitis, a rare, aggressive condition of the synovium, the knee synovial tissue expression of colony-stimulating factor-1 gene, as detected by real-time polymerase chain reaction, was compared between patients affected with pigmented villonodular knee synovitis and knee meniscal tears, or persistent gonoarthitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multiple synovial biopsies of the knee were performed by arthroscopy in five consecutive patients affected by diffuse pigmented villonodular knee synovitis and in 12 patients affected by knee meniscal tears (n. 6) or persistent active gonarthritis (n. 6), recruited from the patients attending the Rheumatology Day Surgery Outpatient Clinic of the University of Padova Hospital. The ethics committee approved the study protocol and the participants signed consent statements after being informed about the content of the study. The diagnosis was made on the basis of a histological examination. The colony-stimulating factor-1 gene expression was assessed by reverse transcription followed by real-time polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The detection by RT-PCR of synovial colony-stimulating factor-1 mRNA showed a wide spectrum of expression in the three groups of distinct knee joint disease affected patients, with significantly higher level of colony-stimulating factor-1 mRNA expression in synovial tissue of pigmented villonodular synovitis, in comparison to that of knee meniscal injuries and persistent gonoarthritis patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings point out to an important role of colony-stimulating factor-1 in pigmented villonodular knee synovitis disease process and support the idea that colony-stimulating factor-1/colony-stimulating factor-1 receptor interaction may represent a potential therapeutic target of this disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clincal and Experimental Medicine, Italy.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Molena
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sfriso
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Oliviero
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pagnin
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Teramo
authors.forename: Fr
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lunardi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stramare
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scanu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nardacchione
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rubaltelli
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Calabrese
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Punzi
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Fiocco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001168:Arthritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008592:Menisci, Tibial / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D013586:Synovitis, Pigmented Villonodular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000070600:Tibial Meniscus Injuries
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor