title: CC motif chemokine ligand 13 is associated with rheumatoid arthritis pathogenesis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  CC motif chemokines are considered to be implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) via recruitment of monocytes and lymphocytes. CC motif chemokine ligand 13 (CCL13)/monocyte chemoattractant protein-4 (MCP-4) is postulated to be a potent RA inducer. We conducted a study to more precisely clarify the role of CCL13 in RA pathogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  CCL13 expression was evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunohistochemical staining in serum samples and synovial tissues from RA patients. The effects of CCL13 against apoptosis were monitored on cultured synovial fibroblasts. The chemoattractant activity of CCL13 was evaluated by the Boyden chamber assay in monocytes (THP-1 cells) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that CCL13 serum level and synovial tissue expression were increased in RA patients. CCL13 had chemoattractant activity for both THP-1 cells and HUVECs. Interestingly, CCL13 expression was positively regulated by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α). Furthermore, apoptosis induced by hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and serum deprivation was inhibited by CCL13 on the cultured synovial fibroblasts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CCL13 may be associated with disease progression as a result of its antiapoptotic effects, increased macrophage infiltration, and synovial tissue angiogenesis in RA patients.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environment and Gender Specific Medicine, Juntendo University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan.
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.forename: Kazuhisa
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.forename: Maki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujishiro
authors.forename: Mikiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kawasaki
authors.forename: Fujihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takamori
authors.forename: Hideoki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogawa
authors.forename: Yoshinari
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takasaki
authors.forename: Iwao
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sekigawa
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002460:Cell Line; D002634:Chemotaxis, Leukocyte / Q000502:physiology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D018945:Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism*; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C099677:CCL13 protein, human; D018945:Monocyte Chemoattractant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha