Inflammation in osteoarthritis: is it time to dampen the alarm(in) in this debilitating disease?

Whereas osteoarthritis was historically considered a disease solely of the articular cartilage, it is nowadays broadly accepted that inflammation plays a crucial role in the disease development. Of particular interest in the inflammatory cascade during osteoarthritis are the alarmins, which are released upon cell stress and lie at the basis of the immune reaction. This review gives an overview of the inflammatory processes that are involved in osteoarthritis, with a particular focus on alarmins, and provides possibilities to inhibit these alarmins. SummaryOsteoarthritis (OA) is the most common joint disease that strongly reduces the quality of life in patients; However, no disease ‐modifying therapy is available. For a long time, OA was considered a non‐inflammatory disease that was the result of ‘wear‐and‐tear’ and abnormal mechanics, and therefore many considered the term ‘osteoarthritis’ a misnomer. However, during the last decades the notion arose that inf lammation is not only present in the majority of OA patients but, rather, actively involved in the progression of the disease. Influx of immune cells is observed in the synovium and a plethora of inflammatory mediators is present in tissues and fluids from OA patients. These mediators cause the prod uction of degrading enzymes that break down the cartilage matrix, which is the main hallmark of OA. Alarmins, which belong to the group of danger signals, have been implicated in many inflammatory diseases. T...

Source: Clinical and Experimental Immunology - November 28, 2018 Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: M. H. J. van den Bosch Tags: Review Article Source Type: research