Synovial microparticles from arthritic patients modulate chemokine and cytokine release by synoviocytes

Abstract

Synovial fluid from patients with various arthritides contains procoagulant, cell-derived microparticles. Here we studied whether synovial microparticles modulate the release of chemokines and cytokines by fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS). Microparticles, isolated from the synovial fluid of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and arthritis control (AC) patients (n = 8 and n = 3, respectively), were identified and quantified by flow cytometry. Simultaneously, arthroscopically guided synovial biopsies were taken from the same knee joint as the synovial fluid. FLS were isolated, cultured, and incubated for 24 hours in the absence or presence of autologous microparticles. Subsequently, cell-free culture supernatants were collected and concentrations of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), IL-6, IL-8, granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) were determined. Results were consistent with previous observations: synovial fluid from all RA as well as AC patients contained microparticles of monocytic and granulocytic origin. Incubation with autologous microparticles increased the levels of MCP-1, IL-8 and RANTES in 6 of 11 cultures of FLS, and IL-6, ICAM-1 and VEGF in 10 cultures. Total numbers of microparticles were correlated with the IL-8 (r = 0.91, P < 0.0001) and MCP-1 concentrations (r = 0.81, P < 0.0001), as did the numbers of granulocyte-derived microparticles (r = 0.89, P < 0.0001 and r = 0.93, P < 0.0001, respectively). In contrast, GM-CSF levels were decreased. These results demonstrate that microparticles might modulate the release of chemokines and cytokines by FLS and might therefore have a function in synovial inflammation and angiogenesis.

Figure 1

Responses of individual cultures of fibroblast-like synoviocytes from rheumatoid arthritis (RA; n = 8) and arthritis control (AC; n = 3) patients to their autologous synovial microparticles. All individual patient data for the markers studied are expressed as the concentration of the mediator in the presence of microparticles concentrated either onefold (black bars) or threefold (open bars) divided by the concentration of mediator in the presence of microparticle-free synovial fluid. ICAM-1, intracellular adhesion molecule-1; MCP-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1.

Figure 2

Correlation between microparticle numbers and IL-8 concentrations. Correlations are shown between IL-8 produced by FLS in response to total microparticles (a), granulocyte-derived microparticles (b) and monocyte-derived microparticles (c). Note that data obtained with FLS in response to onefold and threefold concentrated microparticle suspensions are included.