EXPLORING THE SYNOVIUM IN 1990

in Britain : exploring the extent of change 1990 – 2000

Anatomic Pathology / PATHOLOGY OF THE SYNOVIUM Pathology of the Synovium

Synovium is specialized mesenchymal tissue that is essential for the appropriate function of the locomotor apparatus. It is the site for a series of pathologic processes that are characteristic, and in some cases specific, to this distinctive tissue. In this article, the normal microscopic anatomy of synovium is briefly reviewed. Synovial proliferative disorders, including pigmented villonodula...

The Synovium in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease targeting multiple joints. The synovium is the primary site of the inflammatory process, which if untreated leads to irreversible damage to the adjacent cartilage and bone. It is now well established that autoantibodies that are characteristic of RA, including rheumatoid factor (RF) and anti-citrulluninated protein antibodies (ACPA), are...

Innervation of the synovium.

This review will describe the normal innervation of the joints, in particular the synovium, and then show how this changes in the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) joint in the human. Substance P will be described in detail, as an example of a particular neuropeptide. The concepts surrounding neuropeptide release and the role of neuropeptides in inflammatory joint disease (neurogenic inflammation) will...

The stressed synovium

This review focuses on the mechanisms of stress response in the synovial tissue of rheumatoid arthritis. The major stress factors, such as heat stress, shear stress, proinflammatory cytokines and oxidative stress, are discussed and reviewed, focusing on their potential to induce a stress response in the synovial tissue. Several pathways of stress signalling molecules are found to be activated i...