Article Abstract:
The presence of mast cells in the joint fluid of rheumatoid arthritis patients may help to explain the inflammatory process of this disease. Mast cells normally release chemicals into the blood stream that aid in tissue repair and fighting infection. Researchers analyzed the joint fluid from 34 patients with late stage rheumatoid arthritis. Mast cells were present in all of the samples in cell concentrations ranging from 1.18% to 2.8% of total cells. The two types of mast cells identified in these samples were cells that produce the enzyme chymase and tryptase and cells that produce tryptase only. Researchers observed 8 times as many cells that produce tryptase alone than cells that produce both enzymes. Mast cells were most commonly found in areas of cartilage deterioration and fluid accumulation.
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Article Abstract:
The interaction of a vitamin D metabolite and a vitamin D receptor in joint tissue may contribute to the joint damage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Vitamin D and its metabolites participate in the construction and destruction of bone, cartilage, and other tissues. Researchers tested 32 samples of cartilage and synovial membrane from RA patients and 10 samples of healthy joint cartilage for the presence of vitamin D receptors. Fifteen of 18 RA cartilage samples, and all of the RA synovial tissue, had a substantial number of vitamin D receptors. The healthy cartilage samples had insignificant numbers of vitamin D receptors.
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Article Abstract:
There do not appear to be many eosinophils in the damaged cartilage and joint tissue of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Eosinophils are specialized white blood cells typically associated with sites of infection or allergic reactions. Joint and cartilage tissue samples from 31 patients with RA were analyzed for the presence of eosinophils and other cells associated with inflammation including mast cells and macrophages. Twenty-eight of the 31 samples had no eosinophils and the other three samples had very few eosinophils. However, the samples contained 104 macrophages and 24 mast cells per square millimeter.
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