title: Clinicopathological correlations of podoplanin (gp38) expression in rheumatoid synovium and its potential contribution to fibroblast platelet crosstalk.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Synovial fibroblasts (SF) undergo phenotypic changes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that contribute to inflammatory joint destruction. This study was undertaken to evaluate the clinical and functional significance of ectopic podoplanin (gp38) expression by RA SF.
  
  
  METHODS
  Expression of gp38 and its CLEC2 receptor was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in synovial arthroscopic biopsies from RA patients and normal and osteoarthritic controls. Correlation between gp38 expression and RA clinicopathological variables was analyzed. In patients rebiopsied after anti-TNF-α therapy, changes in gp38 expression were determined. Platelet-SF coculture and gp38 silencing in SF were used to analyze the functional contribution of gp38 to SF migratory and invasive properties, and to SF platelet crosstalk.
  
  
  RESULTS
  gp38 was abundantly but variably expressed in RA, and it was undetectable in normal synovial tissues. Among clinicopathologigal RA variables, significantly increased gp38 expression was only found in patients with lymphoid neogenesis (LN), and RF or ACPA autoantibodies. Cultured synovial but not dermal fibroblasts showed strong constitutive gp38 expression that was further induced by TNF-α. In RA patients, anti-TNF-α therapy significantly reduced synovial gp38 expression. In RA synovium, CLEC2 receptor expression was only observed in platelets. gp38 silencing in cultured SF did not modify their migratory and invasive properties but reduced the expression of IL-6 and IL-8 genes induced by SF-platelet interaction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In RA, synovial expression of gp38 is strongly associated to LN and it is reduced after anti-TNF-α therapy. Interaction between gp38 and CLEC2 platelet receptor is feasible in RA synovium in vivo and can specifically contribute to gene expression by SF.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Reumatología, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Del Rey
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Reumatología, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faré
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Izquierdo
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Reumatología, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Alicia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Usategui
authors.affiliation: Centro de Investigaciones Biológicas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Reumatología, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Abel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suárez-Fueyo
authors.affiliation: Unitat d'Artritis, Servei de Reumatologia, Hospital Clínic de Barcelona and Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pí i Sunyer, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Juan D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Cañete
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Reumatología, Instituto de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre (i+12), Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: José L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Pablos
mesh_terms: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D002465:Cell Movement; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000473:pathology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D055785:Gene Knockdown Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D037181:Lectins, C-Type / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000494:pharmacology; D017154:Stromal Cells / Q000473:pathology; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors; D000098853:Podoplanin
chemical_list: D018501:Antirheumatic Agents; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C104778:CLEC2B protein, human; C117468:PDPN protein, human; D000098853:Podoplanin