Role of inflammatory factors and adipose tissue in pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Part I: Rheumatoid adipose tissue

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

For many years, it was thought that synovial cells and chondrocytes are the only sources of proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors found in the synovial fluid in patients suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, it is more and more frequently indicated that adipose tissue plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of these diseases as well as that a range of pathological processes that take place in the adipose tissue, synovial membrane and cartilage are interconnected. The adipose tissue is considered a specialized form of the connective tissue containing various types of cells which produce numerous biologically active factors. The latest studies reveal that, similarly to the synovial membrane, articular adipose tissue may take part in the local inflammatory response and affect the metabolism of the cartilage and subchondral osseous tissue. In in vitro conditions, the explants of this tissue obtained from patients suffering from osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis produce similar pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines to the explants of the synovial membrane. At this stage already, knowledge translates into imaging diagnostics. In radiological images, the shadowing of the periarticular soft tissues may not only reflect synovial membrane pathologies or joint effusion, but may also suggest inflammatory edema of the adipose tissue. On ultrasou

Evidence level

Evidence from laboratory and animal studies provides groundwork for understanding mechanisms and potential before human studies continue.

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