title: Expression of allograft inflammatory factor-1 in peripheral blood monocytes and synovial membranes in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Allograft inflammatory factor-1 (AIF-1) is a cytoplasmic protein expressed in various human cells such as monocyte/macrophages and activated T lymphocytes. A recent study showed that AIF-1 is strongly expressed in infiltrating mononuclear cells and synovial fibroblasts in rheumatoid arthritis and that AIF-1 induces the proliferation of cultured synovial cells. In this study we analysed the expression of AIF-1 in peripheral blood monocytes and synovial membranes from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined 71 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 25 control subjects.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Using flow cytometry we found significantly increased numbers of circulating AIF-1(+) monocytes in peripheral blood from RA patients compared with controls. Moreover, there were statistically significant positive correlations between AIF-1(+) monocytes, DAS28 and the Sharp erosion score. Immunofluorescence staining showed strong expression of AIF-1 by infiltrating mononuclear cells - predominantly macrophages in RA synovial tissues - compared with tissues derived from joints affected by osteoarthritis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study suggest that AIF-1 may be associated with the pathogenesis of RA and may be a novel cytokine involved in the immunological process underlying RA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland. Electronic address: pawand@poczta.onet.pl.
authors.forename: Andrzej
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pawlik
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Orthopaedic Oncology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kotrych
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Edyta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Paczkowska
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Dorota
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Roginska
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Violetta
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Dziedziejko
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Medical Chemistry, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Safranow
authors.affiliation: Department of General Pathology, Pomeranian Medical University, Szczecin, Poland.
authors.forename: Bogusław
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Machalinski
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008840:Microfilament Proteins; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: C112986:AIF1 protein, human; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D008840:Microfilament Proteins
keywords: Allograft inflammatory factor-1; Expression; Peripheral blood leukocytes; Rheumatoid arthritis; Synovial membranes