Open AccessQuantitation of human synovial mast cells in rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseases
Author(s) -
Godfrey Henry P.,
Ilardi Carl,
Engber William,
Graziano Frank M.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
arthritis & rheumatism
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1529-0131
pISSN - 0004-3591
DOI - 10.1002/art.1780270803
Subject(s) - medicine , rheumatoid arthritis , vascularity , synovial membrane , mast cell , arthritis , joint disease , synovitis , pathology , immunology , rheumatic disease , disease , osteoarthritis , alternative medicine
We examined sections of synovial membranes from 14 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 7 with other rheumatic diseases, and 10 with no apparent joint disease. Patients with RA and other rheumatic diseases had significantly more synovial mast cells/vessel than patients with no joint disease (0.49 and 0.20, respectively, versus 0.03). They also had significantly more total mast cells/10 fields than patients with no joint disease (9.9 and 5.0, respectively, versus 0.4). Within the rheumatoid group, patients with active disease had more total mast cells/10 fields than patients clinically considered to have end‐stage disease ( P < 0.05). Synovial basophils were not identified in any patient. Synovial vascularity was similar for all groups (2.3 vessels/field). The role of the synovial mast cell in RA and other rheumatic diseases remains to be determined.