Logo of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery (Br)
Quick search:        
          Advanced Search
Guest Access | Sign In
Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery - British Volume, Vol 91-B, Issue 3, 417-424.
doi: 10.1302/0301-620X.91B3.21652  
Copyright © 2009 by British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Further opinion
Right arrow Submit a response
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow My Folders
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Millar, N. L.
Right arrow Articles by Murrell, G. A. C.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Millar, N. L.
Right arrow Articles by Murrell, G. A. C.

Cytokines and apoptosis in supraspinatus tendinopathy

N. L. Millar, MRCS, Clinical Research Fellow, Specialist Registrar in Orthopaedics1; A. Q. Wei, MB BS, Research Fellow2; T. J. Molloy, PhD, Research Fellow2; F. Bonar, MRCPI, FRCPath(London), Consultant Pathologist3; and G. A. C. Murrell, DPhil(Oxon), MD, Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery2

1 Division of Immunology, Infection and Inflammation Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre, University of Glasgow, 120 University Avenue, Glasgow G12 8TA, UK.
2 Orthopaedic Research Institute, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery St George Hospital Campus, University of New South Wales, 4-10 South Road, Kogarah, New South Wales 2217, Australia.
3 Douglas Hanly Moir, 95 Epping Road, North Ryde 2113, Sydney, Australia.

Correspondence should be sent to Professor G. A. C. Murrell; e-mail: murrell.g{at}ori.org.au

The role of inflammatory cells and their products in tendinopathy is not completely understood. Pro-inflammatory cytokines are upregulated after oxidative and other forms of stress. Based on observations that increased cytokine expression has been demonstrated in cyclically-loaded tendon cells we hypothesised that because of their role in oxidative stress and apoptosis, pro-inflammatory cytokines may be present in rodent and human models of tendinopathy. A rat supraspinatus tendinopathy model produced by running overuse was investigated at the genetic level by custom micro-arrays. Additionally, samples of torn supraspinatus tendon and matched intact subscapularis tendon were collected from patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery for rotator-cuff tears and control samples of subscapularis tendon from ten patients with normal rotator cuffs undergoing arthroscopic stabilisation of the shoulder were also obtained. These were all evaluated using semiquantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain-reaction and immunohistochemistry.

We identified significant upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and apoptotic genes in the rodent model (p = 0.005). We further confirmed significantly increased levels of cytokine and apoptotic genes in human supraspinatus and subscapularis tendon harvested from patients with rotator cuff tears (p = 0.0008).

These findings suggest that pro-inflammatory cytokines may play a role in tendinopathy and may provide a target for preventing tendinopathies.






(c) British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery All Rights Reserved
Registered charity no: 209299     Print ISSN: 0301-620X
Hip, Knee, Trauma, Upper limb, Foot & Ankle, Paediatrics, Oncology, Spine, Arthroplasty, General