Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a rare but refractory complication of arthroplasty. Accurate identification of pathogens is a key step for successful treatment of PJI, which remains a challenge for clinicians and laboratory workers. We designed a combined culture method with sonication of implants and incubation in a BD Bactec system to improve the effectiveness of pathogen diagnosis in PJI...

Rheumatoid factors (RF) are autoantibodies with specificity for the Fc portion of human IgG. Production of RF is a characteristic feature of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and is detectable in high titer in about 90% of these patients. In this study, we measured total IgM, IgA, IgMRF and IgARF in serum and synovial fluid of 45 RA patients by ELISA and the results were compared with those obtained b...

Background: Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) upregulation in stromal cells of joints affected by rheumatoid arthritis may lead to higher tissue angiotensin II that is a vasoconstrictor and mitogen factor. To date, the role of angiotensin II on regulating blood flow in inflamed joints has not been studied. Methods: Acute and chronic joint inflammation was induced in rabbits by intra-articular...

Expanded populations of CD4+ T cells lacking the co-stimulatory molecule CD28 (CD4+CD28null T cells) have been reported in several inflammatory disorders. In rheumatoid arthritis, increased frequencies of CD4+CD28null T cells in peripheral blood have previously been associated with extra-articular manifestations and human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection, but their presence in and contribution ...

Loosening of the hip joint prosthesis is considered as one of the most significant postoperative complications in recent years. The laboratory diagnostic procedure used to differentiate periprosthetic infection from aseptic loosening is very difficult because of the biofilm which microorganisms form on the implant surface. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the level of concordance be...

Thrombomodulin (TM) is a transmembrane glycoprotein that interacts with thrombin, thereby serving as a cofactor in the activation of protein C, a major physiologically relevant natural anticoagulant. Although initially described as a vascular endothelial cell receptor, TM has also been reported to be synthesized by several cells, including megakaryocytes, platelets, monocytes, neutrophils (PMN)...

1. On exposure of synovial fluid to superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, generated enzymically or by activated polymorphonuclear leucocytes, hyaluronic acid is depolymerized and the fluid loses its lubricating properties. The ability of synovial fluid from rheumatoid patients to scavenge superoxide and hydrogen peroxide was therefore examined. 2. Synovial fluid from a range of rheumatoid patients ...

Normal human synovial fluid contains trace amounts of phospholipids and cholesterol. Phospholipid composition is similar to that in serum. Rheumatoid synovial fluid contains increased amounts of phospholipid, cholesterol, and neutral lipids. In most cases the concentration is 40 to 60 per cent of that found in simultaneously collected serum specimens. A direct relationship appears to exist betw...

The aim of the present study was to examine hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) levels in the synovial fluid and articular cartilage of patients with primary knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to investigate their association with the severity of disease. A total of 36 patients with knee OA and ten healthy controls were enrolled. Anteroposterior knee radiographs and/or Mankin scores were assessed to...

To the Editor: In their Rational Clinical Examination article, Dr Margaretten and colleagues concluded that the synovial fluid white blood cell count and the corresponding percentage of polymorphonuclear cells are the most useful markers in identifying septic arthritis while waiting for the Gram stain and culture test results. Synovial fluid glucose, protein, and lactate dehydrogenase were not ...