title: The CD68(+)/H-ferritin(+) cells colonize the lymph nodes of the patients with adult onset Still's disease and are associated with increased extracellular level of H-ferritin in the same tissue: correlation with disease severity and implication for pathogenesis.
abstract: In this work, we aimed to evaluate the levels of ferritin enriched in H subunits (H-ferritin) and ferritin enriched in L subunits (L-ferritin) and the cells expressing these two molecules in the lymph node (LN) biopsies obtained from adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) patients, and the possible correlation among these data and the severity of the disease. Ten patients with AOSD underwent LN biopsy. All the samples were stained by immunofluorescence. A statistical analysis was performed to estimate the possible correlation among both H-ferritin and L-ferritin tissue expression and the clinical picture of the disease. Furthermore, the same analysis was performed to evaluate the possible correlation among the number of CD68(+)/H-ferritin(+) or CD68(+)/L-ferritin(+) cells and the clinical picture. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated an increased tissue H-ferritin expression in the LNs of AOSD patients. This increased expression correlated with the severity of the disease. An increased number of CD68 macrophages expressing H-ferritin was observed in the LN samples of our patients. Furthermore, we observed that the number of CD68(+)/H-ferritin(+) cells correlated significantly with the severity of the clinical picture. Our data showed an imbalance between the levels of H- and L-ferritin in LNs of AOSD patients and the evidence of an increased number of CD68(+)/H-ferritin(+) cells in the same organs. Furthermore, a correlation among both the tissue H-ferritin levels and the CD68(+)/H-ferritin(+) cells and the clinical picture was observed.
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ruscitti
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ciccia
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cipriani
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Guggino
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Benedetto
authors.affiliation: General Pathology, Ospedali Riuniti Villa Sofia-Cervello, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rizzo
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Liakouli
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Berardicurti
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carubbi
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triolo
authors.affiliation: Division of Rheumatology, Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Science, School of Medicine, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Giacomelli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology; D001052:Apoferritins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008264:Macrophages / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016706:Still's Disease, Adult-Onset / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D015214:Antigens, Differentiation, Myelomonocytic; D001052:Apoferritins; D005293:Ferritins; C067980:CD68 antigen, human; D000097382:CD68 Molecule
keywords: H-ferritin; adult-onset Still's disease; hyperferritinaemic syndrome; macrophage