Flow cytometric analysis of intracellular chemokines in chondrocytes in vivo: constitutive expression and enhancement in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract

Chemokines play a key role in modulating leukocyte functions at sites of inflammation. To assess chondrocyte contribution to the chemotactic environment of inflamed joints the intracellular content of CC and CXC chemokines was investigated. IL-8, GROα, MCP-1, RANTES, MIP-1α and MIP-1β expression was evaluated by flow cytometric analysis and RT-PCR in chondrocytes isolated from cartilage specimens obtained from patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and multiorgan donors as normal controls. All the chemokines except RANTES were found in normal chondrocytes, with different degrees of staining intensity. In osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis patients, an enhancement of IL-8, GROα, MIP-1α and MIP-1β was observed.