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Elevated Nerve Growth Factor Levels in the Synovial Fluid of Patients with Inflammatory Joint Disease

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Abstract

A novel pH shock extraction procedure was used to measure nerve growth factor (NGF) levels in both normal and inflamed synovial fluids using a sensitive and specific two-site enzyme linked immunosorbant assay. To date no data is available on NGF levels in normal synovial fluids. Synovial fluids were taken from 5 normal volunteers, 12 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 10 patients with other inflammatory arthropathies. The mean ± SEM NGF concentration in normal synovial fluids was 95 ± 33.2 pg/ml (range 39.1–143.1 pg/ml), whereas the mean NGF concentration in the synovial fluids taken from patients with rheumatoid arthritis was 532.5 ± 123.8 pg/ml (range 152–1686 pg/ml). The mean NGF concentration in patients with other inflammatory arthropathies was also raised (430.6 ± 90 pg/ml; range 89–1071 pg/ml). The NGF concentrations were significantly higher in the synovial fluids from both inflamed groups (ANOVA p < 0.05) compared to normals. Raised levels of NGF in synovial fluid may contribute directly to joint inflammation via activation of inflammatory cells.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Immunopathology Women's and Children's Hospital, 72 King William Rd North Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia, 5006

    Dale A. Halliday

  2. Department of Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University of South Australia, Bedford Park Adelaide, South Australia, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, 5001

    Christian Zettler & Robert A. Rush

  3. Department of Thoracic Medicine, Royal Adelaide Hospital, North Tce, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000

    Raffaele Scicchitano

  4. Department of Medicine, Modbury Hospital, The University of Adelaide, North Tce, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000

    Julian D. McNeil

Authors
  1. Dale A. Halliday
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  2. Christian Zettler
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  3. Robert A. Rush
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  4. Raffaele Scicchitano
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  5. Julian D. McNeil
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Halliday, D.A., Zettler, C., Rush, R.A. et al. Elevated Nerve Growth Factor Levels in the Synovial Fluid of Patients with Inflammatory Joint Disease. Neurochem Res 23, 919–922 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022475432077

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022475432077

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