Expression Of RANK,RANKL And OPG In Arthritis

Osteoprotegerin(OPG), receptor activator of nuclear factor—κB (RANK) and receptor activator of nuclear factor—κB ligand(RANKL) are the cytokines which have close relationship with the absorption and re-establishment of bones. The interaction between RANKL with RANK can promote differentiation and activation of osteoclasts and its precursor cells. This process can be blocked by OPG, which can decrease the bone destruction.Object: our study was performed to compare the expressions and distributions of RANK, RANKL and OPG in the synovium, synovial fluid and peripheral blood from patients with RA, AS, and the controls (OA and the health), and to analyse the relationship between their expression and bone destruction. On the other hand, we also want to illuminate the important role of RANK, RANKL and OPG system in the mechanism of RA and AS articular bone erosion, and to provide the theoretic foundation for early discovering, and evaluating the degree of bones destruction, as well as use of OPG to prevent bones destrution.Materials and methods: we collected knee or hip joint synovium tisssues, synovia and peripheral blood from 30 patients before and after treatment (10 cases with RA, AS and OA, respectively). At the same time, we collected peripheral blood from 10 normal people.① haematoxyllin-eosin (HE) and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) staining were used to compare the histopathologic characteristic of synovium,osteoclasts and its precursor cell expression and distribution in synovium fromRA, AS and OA. ② The expressions of RANKL and OPG in synovial and synovium from RA and AS patients were detected by western blotting. ③ immunohistochemistry staining of series paraffin sections was used to detect expression and distribution of RANKL and OPG in synovium with RA, AS and OA. ④ Flaw cytometry to detect the expression of RANK, RANKL and OPG on CD3+T lymphocyte, CD14+ monocyte and neutrophil of synovia and peripheral blood from patients with RA, AS (befor and after treatment) and OA.Results: 1.HE staining showed that compared with AS, the thickness of synovium lining layer and the infiltration of lymphocyte in RA is increased (P<0.05), and number of the blood vessels in AS was more than that in RA (P=0.04). TRAP staining showed that TRAP was expressed more widespreadly in synovium of RA and AS than OA, and with no significant difference between RA and AS group. TRAP postive cells was mainly distributed in synovial lining layer and the areas of lymphocyte infiltration. Positive correlation was found between the number of TRAP postive cells and X ray stages of bones destruction in the patients with RA and AS (r_s=0.696,0.658,0.02