1. Biol Chem. 2017 Mar 2. pii:
/j/bchm.just-accepted/hsz-2016-0280/hsz-2016-0280.xml. doi:
10.1515/hsz-2016-0280. [Epub ahead of print]

β-NGF and β-NGF receptor upregulation in blood and synovial fluid in
osteoarthritis.

Montagnoli C, Tiribuzi R, Crispoltoni L, Pistilli A, Stabile AM, Manfreda F,
Placella G, Rende M, Cerulli G.

Osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee is the most common form of non traumatic joint
disease. Previous studies have shown the involvement of β-NGF and its receptors
TrKA and p75NTR in OA-related pain, but their role in its pathogenesis is still
unclear. The aim of our study was to investigate the amount of β-NGF and the
expression levels of its receptors on cells isolated from synovial fluid and
blood from OA patients who had undergone total knee arthroplasty, in order to
check any possible correlation with the disease staging. Our results show a
progressive stage-related increase of β-NGF and its receptors both in serum and
synovial fluid. Furthermore, respect to control subjects, OA patients show an
increased amount of inflammatory monocytes along with an increased expression of 
β-NGF, TrKA and p75NTR. In conclusion, our study suggests a stage-related
modulation of β-NGF and its receptors in the inflammatory process of OA.

DOI: 10.1515/hsz-2016-0280 
PMID: 28253191  [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]