BACKGROUND The structural properties of a tendon autograft deteriorate during the remodeling phase after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. HYPOTHESIS A local application of autologous synovium-derived cells cultured in medium supplemented with transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) may inhibit the deterioration of structural properties of the tendon graft after ACL reconstruction....

A 14-year-old female with painless joint effusion in the right knee was referred to our rheumatology department from the orthopaedics department. The patient first noted right joint swelling 20 days prior to referral with no history of trauma or a change in limb function. Prior to referral, the patient received non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs after which the joint was aspirated for the pu...

BACKGROUND Follicular structures resembling germinal centres (GCs) that are characterized by follicular dendritic cell (FDC) networks have long been recognized in chronically inflamed tissues in autoimmune diseases, including the synovium of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). However, it is debated whether these ectopic structures promote autoimmunity and chronic inflammation driving the production of ...

Current models of rheumatoid arthritis (RA)' implicate lymphokines in the recruitment and activation of T cells in the synovium (1, 2) . However, adequate documentation of significant amounts of these proteins in the joint is limited . In fact, recent studies have found only very low levels of IFN-y in synovial fluid (SF) and tissue of patients with RA (3) . This relative lack of IFN-y seems co...

OBJECTIVE To determine clinical and immunological correlates of high dose chemotherapy (HDC) + autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) in patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA), refractory to conventional treatment. METHODS Serial samples of peripheral blood and synovial tissue were obtained from seven patients with RA treated with HDC and autologous peripheral blood grafts enrich...

Thrombin is a key factor in the stimulation of fibrin deposition, angiogenesis, proinflammatory processes, and proliferation of fibroblast-like cells. Abnormalities in these processes are primary features of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in synovial tissues. Tissue destruction in joints causes the accumulation of large quantities of free hyaluronic acid (HA) in RA synovial fluid. The present study ...