Hyaluronan Degradation under Inflammatory Conditions

The word arthritis (the disease that is the most important one regarding HA) is composed of the Greek words arth which refers to joints and itis which means inflammation. Arthritis is a general term for a group of different diseases that are characterized by the inflammation of one or more joints [54], What does inflammation mean From the viewpoint of a physician, the affected patient complains about the so-called cardinal indications of inflammation color, dolor, rubor, and calor , indicating that the affected part of the body is painful, swollen, slightly reddish and feels warm [93]. 

Besides the activation of proteolytic enzymes, ROS primarily contribute to these symptoms, and they are also generated in many different cell types under stress conditions. For instance, in the inflamed joint, fibroblasts, chondrocytes, macrophages, and especially neutrophilic granulocytes are discussed as the most important sources of ROS [94]. Neutrophils are accumulated in the synovial fluid of the inflamed joints in huge amounts [95], although the prime 

It is obvious that many various products are generated under these conditions that have different interactions. For instance, ROS generated under these conditions react with functional groups of enzymes that may significantly influence their enzymatic activities. Clearly, as the majority of ROS is generated by the enzymes, this fact also influences the yield of ROS. Thus, evaluation of the detailed role of ROS under physiological conditions is assuredly a rather difficult task. 

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