Characterization of Synovial Cytokine Patterns in Bucket-Handle and Posterior Horn Meniscal Tears

Abstract

The specific etiology of meniscal tears, including the mechanism of lesion, location, and orientation, is considered for its contribution to subsequent joint cytokine responsiveness, healing outcomes, and by extension, appropriate lesion-specific surgical remediation. Meniscal repair is desirable to reduce the probability of development of posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) which is strongly influenced by the coordinate generation of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines by the injured cartilage. We now present biochemical data on variation in cytokine levels arising from two particular meniscal tears: bucket-handle (BH) and posterior horn (PH) isolated meniscal tears. We selected these two groups due to the different clinical presentations. We measured the concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 in knee synovial fluid of 45 patients with isolated meniscal lesions (BH tear, n = 12 ; PH tear, n = 33 ). TNF-α levels were significantly ( p < 0.05 ) greater in the BH group compared with the PH group, whereas IL-1β levels were significantly greater ( p < 0.05 ) in the PH group compared with the BH group. Both BH and PH groups were consistent in presenting a positive correlation between concentrations of IL-6 and IL-1β. A fundamental difference in IL-10 responsiveness between the two groups was noted; specifically, levels of IL-10 were positively correlated with IL-6 in the BH group, whereas in the PH group, levels of IL-10 were positively correlated with IL-1β. Collectively, our data suggest a possible influence of the meniscal tear pattern to the articular cytokine responsiveness. This differential expression of inflammatory cytokines may influence the risk of developing PTOA in the long term.

Resolvin E1 and Cytokines Environment in Skeletally Immature and Adult ACL Tears

“…In the case of injured adults, it is known that injured ACL, and/or untreated meniscal tears involve a high risk of developing post-traumatic osteoarthritis (OA) ( 7 ); however, despite surgical reconstruction, there is still a higher risk of developing OA than in the healthy knee ( 8 ). To illustrate, over 40% of patients presented radiographic evidence of post-traumatic OA 7 to 11 years following ACL rupture ( 9 ); in comparison, in patients with ACL rupture associated with meniscal tear the occurrence of OA is almost 70% ( 7 , 10 ).…”

Prokineticin 2 and Cytokine Content in the Synovial Fluid of Knee Osteoarthritis and Traumatic Meniscal Tear Patients: Preliminary Results

“…Synovial fluids were transferred into 15 mL sterile tubes, stored in ice, and transferred to the laboratory where they were centrifuged at 3000× g to eliminate cells and other debris. Supernatants were frozen and stored at −80 °C until assayed [ 28 , 29 , 30 ].…”

Meniscus cell lysate induces mitochondrial dysfunction of fibroblast-like synoviocytes via upregulating ANT3 in osteoarthritis

“…Synovial samples were first collected in tubes containing ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and immediately centrifuged at 3,000 g to remove cellular debris, and the supernatant was stored at -80°C until assayed. 19 The levels of type I collagen were measured in the synovial fluid using a specific sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) according to the manufacturer's instructions (Shanghai Sangon Industry, China). Meniscus cell lysate preparation.…”