Synovium, rheumatoid synovial membrane

Dolhain RJ, ter Haar NT, Hoefakker S, et al. Increased expression of interferon (IFN)-gamma together with IFN-y receptor in the rheumatoid synovial membrane compared with synovium of patients with osteoarthritis. Br J Rheumatol 1996 35 24-32. 

Articulated joints between bones, for example at the knee, are covered in a capsule enclosing a space, which contains synovial fluid. The lining of the capsule is composed by the synovial membrane it is this synovium that becomes inflamed in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Secretions produced by inflammatory cells (lymphocytes, macrophages... 

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an inflammatory disease of the synovium which results in erosion, deformity and finally the destruction of joints. Inflammation of the joints is associated with a villous hypertrophy of the synovial membrane, which on microscopy shows proliferation of the lining layer with an inflammatory infiltrate. There is extensive expression of HLA-... 

T. wilfordii has been used as a traditional medicine in China for many centuries. The plant has also been used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and spondylitis [92]. It has been reported that there is a strong relationship between the production of interleukin - 1 (IL-1) by the synovium and the degree of inflammation of the arthricular synovial membrane in rheumatoid artritis [93-95]. Regeol A (76), B (3) and C (77) [27], isolated from T. wilfordii var. regelii showed moderate to low inhibitory activity for IL-1 a and IL-lp release from lipopolysaccharide-stimulated human peripheral mononuclear cells compared to prednisolone as a reference compound. 

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