Yields and chondrogenic potential of primary synovial mesenchymal stem cells are comparable between rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis patients

Abstract

BackgroundMesenchymal stem cells derived from the synovial membrane (synovial MSCs) are a candidate cell source for regenerative medicine of cartilage and menisci due to their high chondrogenic ability. Regenerative medicine can be expected for RA patients with the inflammation well-controlled as well as OA patients and transplantation of synovial MSCs would also be a possible therapeutic treatment. Some properties of synovial MSCs vary dependent on the diseases patients have, and whether or not the pathological condition of RA affects the chondrogenesis of synovial MSCs remains controversial. The purpose of this study was to compare the properties of primary synovial MSCs between RA and OA patients.MethodsHuman synovial tissue was harvested during total knee arthroplasty from the knee joints of eight patients with RA and OA respectively. Synovial nucleated cells were cultured for 14 days. Total cell yields, surface markers, and differentiation potentials were analyzed for primary synovial MSCs.ResultsNucleated cell number per 1 mg synovium was 8.4 ± 3.9 thousand in RA and 8.0 ± 0.9 thousand in OA. Total cell number after 14-day culture/1 mg synovium was 0.7 ± 0.4 million in RA and 0.5 ± 0.3 million in OA, showing no significant difference between in RA and OA. Cells after 14-day culture were mostly positive for CD44, CD73, CD90, CD105, negative for CD45 both in RA and OA. There was no significant difference for the cartilage pellet weight and sGAG content per pellet between in RA and OA. Both oil red O-positive colony rate and alizarin red-positive colony rate were similar in RA and OA.ConclusionsYields, surface markers and chondrogenic potential of primary synovial MSCs in RA were comparable to those in OA. Synovium derived from RA patients can be the cell source of MSCs for cartilage and meniscus regeneration.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13287-017-0572-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Comparison of mesenchymal stem cells obtained by suspended culture of synovium from patients with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis

“…The MSCs obtained from the suspended synovium cultures from RA and OA donors had similar mean harvested cell numbers at passage 0 and passage 1, chondrogenic potential, and surface epitope profiles. We previously reported similar results for a comparison of the properties of synovial MSCs obtained using digested synovial cells from RA and OA donors in a standard cell culture [ 12 ]. This similarity between the current findings from suspended synovium culture and our previous results from standard cell culture is interesting because migrated cells from synovium and digested cells in synovium are seemed to have similar properties.…”

Comprehensive analysis of skeletal muscle- and bone-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells in patients with osteoarthritis and femoral neck fracture

“…Previous studies have mainly focused on the analysis of the single disorders, and in particular of OA, where it has been shown that bone marrow-derived MSCs show reduced chondrogenic potential [6,7]; alternatively, comparison of the two cartilage disorders with different etiologies have been carried out [26]. MSCs in OP patients have been studied to a lesser extent; however, these studies have shown that bone-marrow-derived MSCs in OP patients can switch their differentiation potential from osteogenesis to adipogenesis, thus possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of OP [27].…”

The human umbilical cord stem cells improve the viability of OA degenerated chondrocytes

“…It is indicated that mesenchymal stem cells isolated from the synovial membrane are reported that a candidate cell source in cartilage and menisci regenerative medicine and OA ( 31 ). Feng et al reported that intra-articular injection of allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with hyaluronic acid could efficiently block OA progression and promote cartilage regeneration and allogeneic adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells combined with HA might survive at least 14 weeks after intra-articular injection ( 32 ).…”