Expression of cathepsin d in the synovium of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract EN

Synovial tissue specimens were obtained from 6 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients undergoing synovectomy or total joint replacement and 10 osteoarthritis (OA) patients during total knee or hip joint replacement.

Cathepsin D was expressed in the synovial tissue of both RA and OA patients using immunohistochemistry.

Comparison between expression of cathepsin D in the synovium of RA and OA was done.

It was found that there was an abundant expression of cathepsin D in the synovial lining of RA synovial tissue (as regards the number of positive cells and intensity of the stain) than in OA synovial lining cells.

Again, there was more expression of cathepsin D in both stromal and interstitial cells (perivascular infiltrates) of RA synovial tissue than OA.

We concluded that cathepsin D was pronouncedly expressed in RA synovial tissue than OA synovial tissue and this expression suggests its important pathogenetic role in RA.