Expression of CD68+ Cells in Synovial Tissue from Patients with PsA and its Association with Disease Activity Indices: A Clinical Pilot Study

TL;DR

This pilot study found higher CD68+ cell levels in PsA patients' synovial tissue, linked to disease activity, suggesting a potential therapeutic target.

Contribution

The study is the first to associate CD68+ cell expression in PsA synovial tissue with disease activity indices.

Findings

CD68+ cell expression was significantly higher in PsA patients compared to those with gonarthrosis.

Disease activity indices showed a significant positive correlation with CD68+ cell expression in PsA patients.

The results suggest CD68+ cells may contribute to joint damage in PsA and could be a therapeutic target.

Abstract

Investigating CD68+ positive cells in the synovial tissue is crucial for understanding the pathogenesis of psoriatic arthritis (PsA) and developing targeted treatment strategies. The role of CD68+ positive cells in the synovial tissue of patients with PsA for joint destruction has not been fully studied.

The objective of the study was to examine the presence of CD68+ cells in the synovial tissue of patients with PsA, particularly those with high inflammatory activity.

Synovial tissue samples were collected during knee joint replacement surgeries from patients with PsA (16 patients) and gonarthrosis (25 patients). Immunohistochemical methods were employed to detect CD68+ cell expression in the tissue samples. The results were analyzed by histologists, and the staining intensity and percentage of positively stained cells were evaluated. The data were then divided into three groups for statistical analysis: negative, weakly positive, and strongly positive histological samples. Routine indices for disease activity, VAS, DAPSA, PASDAI, and mCPDAI were used to assess PsA activity in all patients and to assess correlations with CD68+ positive cells in the synovial tissue. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA).

The expression of CD68+ positive cells was significantly higher in patients with PsA compared to those with activated gonarthrosis (p < 0.001). The indices for disease activity, VAS, DAPSA, PASDAI, mCPDAI, and mCPDAI showed a significant positive relationship with the expression of CD68 + cells on synovial tissue in patients with PsA (p < 0.01)

The findings of the study confirm the increased numbers of CD68+ cells in PsA vs. gonathrosis synovium. This suggests the need to explore therapeutic approaches aimed at suppressing or blocking CD68+ cells to potentially mitigate joint damage.

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