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Query: UMLS:C0003864 (arthritis)
 69,039 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Angiogenesis, the formation of blood vessels from a pre-existing vasculature, is a process whereby capillary sprouts are formed in response to externally supplied chemical stimuli. The sprouts then grow and develop, driven initially by endothelial cell migration, and organize themselves into a branched, connected network. Subsequent cell proliferation near the sprout-tips permits further extension of the capillaries and ultimately completes the process. Angiogenesis occurs during embryogenesis, wound healing, arthritis and during the growth of solid tumours. In this article we first of all present a review of a variety of mathematical models which have been used to describe the formation of capillary networks and then focus on a specific recent model which uses novel mathematical modelling techniques to generate both two- and three-dimensional vascular structures. The modelling focusses on key events of angiogenesis such as the migratory response of endothelial cells to exogenous cytokines (tumour angiogenic factors, TAF) secreted by a solid tumour; endothelial cell proliferation; endothelial cell interactions with extracellular matrix macromolecules such as fibronectin; capillary sprout branching and anastomosis. Numerical simulations of the model, using parameter values based on experimental data, are presented and the theoretical structures generated by the model are compared with the morphology of actual capillary networks observed in in vivo experiments. A final conclusions section discusses the use of the mathematical model as a possible angiogenesis assay.
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PMID:Mathematical modelling of angiogenesis. 1124 80

The present studies deal with polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) adhesion inhibitory properties of cartilage surface proteoglycans. Normal human PMN were used in adhesion experiments with bovine cartilage surfaces exposed to neutrophil elastase and reconstituted with fibronectin (Fn) or on plastic-bound Fn. An extract of cartilage surface small proteoglycans (SE) and purified fibromodulin (FM), decorin (DCN), biglycan (BGN), and aggrecan (AGN) on the surface of normal cartilage were used to test for inhibition of Fn-dependent cell adhesion. The PMN did not adhere to intact articular cartilage surfaces, whereas significant adhesion was measured using cartilage explants digested with elastase and reconstituted with Fn. Incubation of elastase-treated, Fn-reconstituted cartilage with 45 microg/ml SE inhibited PMN adhesion by 50.7 +/- 5.8% (P < 0.0001). Addition of 50 microg/ml purified FM to the reconstituted articular surfaces inhibited cell adhesion by 71.2 +/- 13.9% (P < 0.0001). Inhibition of PMN adhesion to plastic-bound Fn was seen with 1.7 microg/ml SE (20.4 +/- 8.0%). Maximal inhibition of 67.4 +/- 14.8% (P < 0.01) was obtained with 17.0 microg/ml SE. With FM, concentrations of 4.3 microg/ml resulted in 34.7 25.2 inhibition (P < 0.001), and maximal inhibition of 66.3 16.2% (P < 0.01) was obtained with 43.0 microg/ml. Similar results were obtained with purified bovine DCN and BGN. The main component of cartilage matrix, AGN, failed to inhibit cell adhesion significantly. The results indicate that macromolecules normally present on articular cartilage surfaces act as a barrier to PMN adhesion. Since cartilage surface proteins are susceptible to breakdown by proteases from synovial fluid inflammatory cells, we postulate that the degradation of this barrier may be responsible for increasing PMN adhesion and subsequent cartilage damage in inflammatory arthritis.
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PMID:Polymorphonuclear leukocyte adhesion to articular cartilage is inhibited by cartilage surface macromolecules. 1151 37

The adhesion protein YadA is encoded by the yadA gene located in the 70-kb virulence plasmid of Yersinia (pYV) that is common to the pathogenic Yersinia species (Y. pestis, Y. pseudotuberculosis and Y. enterocolitica). YadA is a virulence factor of Y. enterocolitica, however, YadA seems to be dispensable for the virulence of Y. pseudotuberculosis, and in wild-type Y. pestis the yadA gene has a frameshift mutation silencing the gene. Expression of the Y. pseudotuberculosis YadA in Y. pestis reduces its virulence. YadA is a homotrimer of ca. 45-kDa subunits that are anchored to the outer membrane via their C-termini, while their N-termini form a globular head on top of a stalk; the 'lollipop'-shaped YadA structure covers the entire bacterial surface giving it hydrophobic properties. The yadA gene expression is induced at 37 degrees C by the temperature-dependent transcriptional activator LcrF. YadA is a multifaceted protein as revealed by its different biological properties. YadA+ bacteria bind to collagens, laminin, fibronectin, intestinal submucosa, mucus, and to hydrophobic surfaces like polystyrene. YadA+ bacteria autoagglutinate in stationary culture and also specifically agglutinate guinea pig red blood cells. YadA is also a potent serum resistance factor as it inhibits the classical pathway of complement. As invasin, it mediates low rate invasion to tissue culture cells. In a rat model of reactive arthritis YadA and specifically YadA-mediated collagen binding is necessary for Y. enterocolitica to induce the disease. Despite of this wealth of information or perhaps because of it, the in vivo role of YadA during infection remains still largely unresolved.
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PMID:YadA, the multifaceted Yersinia adhesin. 1155 61

The 29-kDa amino-terminal fibronectin fragment (FN-f) has a potent chondrolytic effect and is thought to be involved in cartilage degradation in arthritis. However, little is known about signal transduction pathways that are activated by FN-f. Here we demonstrated that FN-f induced nitric oxide (NO) production from human articular chondrocytes. Expression of inducible nitric-oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA and NO production were observed at 6 and 48 h after FN-f treatment, respectively. Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) mRNA up-regulation was stimulated by FN-f in human chondrocytes. To address the possibility that FN-f-induced NO release is mediated by IL-1beta production, the effect of IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) was determined. IL-1ra partially inhibited FN-f-induced NO release although it almost completely inhibited IL-1beta-induced NO release. Tyrosine phosphorylation of focal adhesion kinase was induced transiently by FN-f treatment. Blocking antibodies to alpha(5) or beta(1) integrin and Arg-Gly-Asp-containing peptides did not inhibit FN-f-induced NO production. PP2, a Src family kinase inhibitor, or cytochalasin D, which selectively disrupts the network of actin filaments, inhibited both FAK phosphorylation and NO production induced by FN-f, but the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor wortmannin had no effect. Analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) showed activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun NH(2)-terminal kinase, and p38 MAPK. High concentrations of SB203580, which inhibit both JNK and p38 MAPK, and PD98059 a selective inhibitor of MEK1/2 that blocks ERK activation, inhibited FN-f induced NO production. These data suggest that focal adhesion kinase and MAPK mediate FN-f induced activation of human articular chondrocytes.
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PMID:Focal adhesion kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinases are involved in chondrocyte activation by the 29-kDa amino-terminal fibronectin fragment. 1167 48

EDA(+)fibronectin, which might participate in the pathogenesis and/or progress of immune diseases, is efficiently removed from plasma by cryofiltration; however, cryofiltration removes not only EDA(+)fibronectin, but also other proteins. We thus developed a new adsorbent by using its high affinity with heparin. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the adsorbent of EDA(+)fibronectin (OHC-20) in experimental arthritis. The experimental arthritis was induced by injection of 0.5 mg of Mycobacterium butyricum in Lewis rats. Rats were divided into 4 groups; 1 nontreatment group, and 3 treatment groups. Adsorption therapy in treatment groups was performed three times: on Days 1, 3, and 5 in Group A; Days 7, 9, and 11 in Group B; and Days 13, 15, and 17 in Group C. The walking postures of rats improved from dragging to walking on tiptoe, and the increase of hind-foot volume was suppressed in Groups B and C. We conclude that heparin-immobilized adsorbent might be promising for immune diseases.
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PMID:Experimental study using heparin-immobilized adsorbent of EDA(+)fibronectin. 1180 84

Fragments of fibronectin occur naturally in vivo and are increased in the synovial fluid of arthritis patients. We have studied the 45 kDa fragment (Fn-f 45), representing the N-terminal collagen-binding domain of fibronectin, for its ability to modulate the expression of metalloproteinases by porcine articular chondrocytes in vitro. We report that stimulation of cultured chondrocytes, or cartilage explants, with Fn-f 45 increased the levels of matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13; collagenase-3) released into the conditioned medium in a dose-dependent manner. Increased levels of MMP-13 were due to stimulation of MMP-13 synthesis, rather than release of MMP-13 from accumulated matrix stores. Fn-f 45 also stimulated the synthesis of MMP-3 (stromelysin-1) from cultured chondrocytes and cartilage cultures. The Fn-f 45-induced increase in MMP-3 and MMP-13 synthesis occurred via an interleukin 1-independent mechanism, since the receptor antagonist of interleukin-1 was unable to block the increased synthesis. The gelatinases, MMP-2 and MMP-9, were not modulated by Fn-f 45 in these culture systems. Fn-f 45 also stimulated the release of aggrecan from cartilage explants into conditioned medium. Neoepitope antibodies specific for aggrecan fragments generated by MMPs or aggrecanases showed that the Fn-f 45-induced aggrecan loss was mediated by aggrecanases, and not by MMPs. Extracts of cultured cartilage contained elevated levels of the aggrecanase-derived ITEGE(373)-G1 domain, whereas levels of the matrix metalloproteinase-derived DIPEN(341)-G1 domain were unchanged. These studies show that Fn-f 45 can induce a catabolic phenotype in articular chondrocytes by up-regulating the expression of metalloproteinases specific for the degradation of collagen and aggrecan.
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PMID:The 45 kDa collagen-binding fragment of fibronectin induces matrix metalloproteinase-13 synthesis by chondrocytes and aggrecan degradation by aggrecanases. 1198 91

Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (collagenase-3), a member of the family of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), plays a major pathological role in the cartilage destruction of arthritis. A dramatic up-regulation of MMP-13 by inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-1beta or by fibronectin fragments has been observed in chondrocytes. In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and osteogenic protein-1 (OP-1) on the expression of MMP-13, which was induced by fibronectin fragment or IL-1beta in human immortalized or human primary chondrocytes. IGF-1 and OP-1 each significantly reduced the basal level as well as fibronectin fragment- or IL-1beta-stimulated transcription of the MMP-13 gene in a dose-dependent fashion with the corresponding decreases in the protein level of MMP-13. The most prominent suppressive effect was observed by the combination of IGF-1 and OP-1, which decreased the basal promoter activity by 60% and almost completely abrogated the fibronectin fragment-stimulated MMP-13 promoter activity. OP-1 was found to enhance mRNA levels of IGF-1 and the IGF-1 receptor, the latter of which appeared to be responsible for the combined effect of IGF-1 and OP-1. The suppressive effect of IGF-1 and OP-1 on MMP-13 expression was due in part to down-regulation of the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and the activity of their intermediate molecules, including NF-kappaB and AP-1 factors. We propose that IGF-1 and OP-1 could be key physiological regulators of MMP-13 gene expression and that the combination of IGF-1 and OP-1 may be useful in controlling the excess catabolic activity in arthritis.
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PMID:Inhibitory effects of insulin-like growth factor-1 and osteogenic protein-1 on fibronectin fragment- and interleukin-1beta-stimulated matrix metalloproteinase-13 expression in human chondrocytes. 1273 80

We have developed a multiplex PCR procedure to determine the distribution of nine adhesin genes in Staphylococcus aureus isolates. Only genes encoding bone sialoprotein binding protein and fibronectin binding protein B were significantly associated with hematogenous osteomyelitis/arthritis and native-valve endocarditis, respectively, suggesting their involvement in hematogenous tissue infections.
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PMID:Use of multiplex PCR to identify Staphylococcus aureus adhesins involved in human hematogenous infections. 1295 96

As part of a national surveillance program on invasive group A streptococci (GAS), isolates that caused specific manifestations of invasive GAS disease in The Netherlands were collected between 1992 and 1996. These site-specific GAS infections involved meningitis, arthritis, necrotizing fasciitis, and puerperal sepsis. An evaluation was performed to determine whether GAS virulence factors correlate with these different disease manifestations. PCRs were developed to detect 9 genes encoding exotoxins and 12 genes encoding fibronectin binding proteins. The genetic backgrounds of all isolates were determined by M genotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis. The predominant M types included M1, M2, M3, M4, M6, M9, M12, and M28. Most M types were associated with all manifestations of GAS disease. However, M2 was found exclusively in patients with puerperal sepsis, M6 predominated in patients with meningitis, and M12 predominated in patients with GAS arthritis. While characteristic gene profiles were detected in most M types, the resolution of detection of different gene profiles within M genotypes was enhanced by PFGE analysis, which clearly demonstrated the existence of some clonal lineages among invasive GAS isolates in The Netherlands. M1 isolates comprised a single clone carrying highly mitogenic toxin genes (speA, smeZ) and were associated with toxic shock-like syndrome. Toxin profiles were highly conserved among the most virulent strains, such as M1 and M3.
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PMID:Site-specific manifestations of invasive group a streptococcal disease: type distribution and corresponding patterns of virulence determinants. 1460 21

Fragments of fibronectin (FN) corresponding to the N-terminal heparin-binding domain have been observed to promote catabolic chondrocytic gene expression and chondrolysis. We therefore characterized FN species that include sequences from this domain in samples of arthritic synovial fluid using one-and two-dimensional (1D and 2D) Western blot analysis. We detected similar assortments of species, ranging from ~47 to greater than 200 kDa, in samples obtained from patients with osteoarthritis (n = 9) versus rheumatoid arthritis (n = 10). One of the predominant forms, with an apparent molecular weight of ~170 kDa, typically resolved in 2D electrophoresis into a cluster of subspecies. These exhibited reduced binding to gelatin in comparison with a more prevalent species of ~200+ kDa and were also recognized by a monoclonal antibody to the central cell-binding domain (CBD). When considered together with our previous analyses of synovial fluid FN species containing the alternatively spliced EIIIA segment, these observations indicate that the ~170-kDa species includes sequences from four FN domains that have previously, in isolation, been observed to promote catabolic responses by chondrocytes in vitro: the N-terminal heparin-binding domain, the gelatin-binding domain, the central CBD, and the EIIIA segment. The ~170-kDa N-terminal species of FN may therefore be both a participant in joint destructive processes and a biomarker with which to gauge activity of the arthritic process.
Arthritis Res Ther 2003
PMID:Electrophoretic characterization of species of fibronectin bearing sequences from the N-terminal heparin-binding domain in synovial fluid samples from patients with osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. 1468 May 7


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