To explore prostaglandin (PG) E2 production by human articular chondrocytes induced by different chemokines.
Human chondrocytes were enzymatically isolated from the articular cartilage of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), osteoarthritis (OA) or traumatic fracture (N) who underwent total joint replacement. They were cultured in vitro as monolayers and then exposed to MCP-1, RANTES or SDF-1 for 24 h. Levels of PGE2 and MMP-3 in the culture supernatant were then immunoassayed.
PGE2 production was enhanced up to 2.7-fold in a subset of samples. Responses to different chemokines were heterogeneous even within the same disease groups. As previously reported, chemokines induced MMP-3 secretion by chondrocytes, but there was no significant correlation between levels of PGE2 and MMP-3.
We here document the presence of "responders" among OA, RA and normal chondrocytes that produce enhanced levels of PGE2 upon stimulation by chemokines. The relationship between chemokines and prostaglandins could differentially influence the pathogenic network responsible for cartilage degradation in arthropathy.