Search for: rheumatoid arthritis    methotrexate    autoimmune disease    biomarker    gene expression    GWAS    HLA genes    non-HLA genes   

ID PMID Title PublicationDate abstract
7557281 [Hepatic tolerance of aceclofenac]. 1994 Oct NSAID's are largely used drugs. Among the reported side effects of this type of drugs is liver damage. 73 patients suffering from diverse rheumatological pathologies (arthrosis 46.6%, rotators 9.68%, rheumatoid arthritis 21.92%, lumbalgia 5.48%, other diagnosis 6.85%) were evaluated. Aceclofenac (AC) 100 mg. dose every 12 hours was administered. A Transaminase value determination was taken both at the beginning and end of medication for each patient. Average age of patients was 52.71 years, 78% being female. Treatment was administered as follows, 42.47% of the patients received a 60 days treatment, 28.8% a 45 days treatment, 23.3% a 30 days treatment and 5.47% received a 15 days treatment. Reported mean GOT value at the beginning was 16.6 U, at the end 17.01 U. GPT initial value was 15.84 U and final 16.53 U. A GOT increase, 20 U to 50 was observed in a single patient. GPT was also increased from 32 U to 47 U in one case. Results led us to a no liver damage report of the NSAID's AC in these group of patients.
8052310 Processing of tumour necrosis factor-alpha precursor by metalloproteinases. 1994 Aug 18 Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) is a potent pro-inflammatory and immunomodulatory cytokine implicated in inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and the cachexia associated with cancer or human immunodeficiency virus infection. TNF-alpha is initially expressed as a 233-amino-acid membrane-anchored precursor which is proteolytically processed to yield the mature, 157-amino-acid cytokine. The processing enzyme(s) which cleave TNF-alpha are unknown. Here we show that the release of mature TNF-alpha from leukocytes cultured in vitro is specifically prevented by synthetic hydroxamic acid-based metalloproteinase inhibitors, which also prevent the release of TNF-alpha into the circulation of endotoxin challenged rats. A recombinant, truncated TNF-alpha precursor is cleaved to biologically active, mature TNF-alpha by several matrix metalloproteinase enzymes. These results indicate that processing of the TNF-alpha precursor is dependent on at least one matrix metalloproteinase-like enzyme, inhibition of which represents a novel therapeutic mechanism for interfering with TNF-alpha production.
8042654 Case report: bilateral adrenal pheochromocytoma. 1994 Aug Pheochromocytoma remains a clinical challenge to diagnose and manage. In addition, the association of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes with pheochromocytoma require the clinician's awareness to evaluate patients with pheochromocytoma (especially when bilateral) for abnormalities in thyroidal C-cell function with serum calcitonin determinations. The authors present a case of a 42-year-old woman initially diagnosed with, and treated for, cranial artery vasculitis because she had a stroke and a history of rheumatoid arthritis and asthma. Subsequent evaluation of episodic blood pressure increases, headache, and tachycardia revealed biochemical evidence of catecholamine overproduction. Bilateral adrenal masses were found on computed tomography scanning, and the functional nature of the adrenal masses was confirmed by a meta-Iodobenzylguanidine scan. Upon further evaluation, an elevated serum calcitonin concentration was demonstrated, which increased greatly with pentagastrin stimulation. C-cell hyperplasia was demonstrated by subsequent thyroidectomy, confirming the diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A. The difficulty in arriving at a correct diagnosis, the subsequent management, including bilateral adrenalectomy and thyroidectomy, and newer insight into the genetic abnormalities of multiple endocrine neoplasia 2A are discussed.
7951305 Brain reactive autoantibodies and cognitive impairment in systemic lupus erythematosus. 1994 Jun Nervous system involvement in SLE encompasses a wide array of clinical manifestations which may reflect multiple etiologic factors including autoantibodies to nervous tissue antigens. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between autoantibodies to a wide range of brain antigens and cognitive abnormalities in an unselected population of 70 SLE patients. Using a battery of standardized neuropsychological tests, cognitive impairment was identified in 15/70 (21%) SLE patients compared with 1/25 (4%) patients with rheumatoid arthritis and 1/23 (4%) healthy subjects (P = 0.04). Integral membrane proteins were isolated from dissociated brain cells by temperature-induced phase separation with Triton X-114. Synaptosomes were isolated by differential centrifugation and membrane enriched fractions were prepared by lectin affinity chromatography. Western blotting identified IgG reactivity to a wide range of proteins (MW 22-52 K) in SLE patients. The proteins identified were distinct from well-characterized intracellular antigens including ribosomal P proteins. There was no significant difference in the prevalence of anti-brain antibodies between SLE patients who were cognitively impaired and those who were not impaired. Furthermore, there was no association between the presence of autoantibodies and subsets of cognitive dysfunction. These results suggest that circulating autoantibodies to brain antigens are not responsible for the abnormalities in cognitive function in SLE patients.
8186957 Increased expression of high affinity IL-2 receptors and beta-adrenoceptors on peripheral 1994 Apr Enhanced expression of beta-adrenoceptor densities on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) in progressive multiple sclerosis patients has been observed in a number of independent studies. A link between increased number of beta-adrenoceptors and inflammatory disease has been further indicated by studies in rheumatoid arthritis and relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients. In a serial monthly assessment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients, we have demonstrated that increased beta-adrenoceptors on PBMCs correlate with the expression of high affinity interleukin-2 receptors (IL-2Rs) and disease activity as determined by clinical and MRI findings. Magnetic resonance imaging activity was strongly correlated with IL-2R expression and it appears to be a sensitive marker of PBMC immunoactivation in multiple sclerosis. In vitro studies showed that beta-agonist stimulation of PBMCs reduces the IL-2R expression and suppresses cell proliferation following mitogenic stimulation. This observation may indicate a recovery role for the enhanced beta-adrenoceptor expression in multiple sclerosis. However, its therapeutic importance remains to be tested by appropriate trials using either beta-agonists or agents activating the second messenger system, c-AMP, in lymphocytes.
7847025 Twin studies in auto-immune disease. 1994 Immune-mediated diseases affect up to 5% of the population and are a major cause of morbidity and mortality. These diseases can be organ specific, such as insulin-dependent diabetes (IDDM) and non-organ specific, such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Identical and non-identical twins have been used to establish whether these diseases are determined by genetic or environmental factors. The results of these studies have been collated in a new section of the Mendel Institute in Rome. Diseases included in these studies included IDDM, RA, Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Myasthenia. Striking differences in concordance rates between identical and non-identical twins in all these studies suggest that genetic factors are important in causing these diseases. All the diseases are known to be associated with HLA genes on chromosome 6 which may account for some or all of the genetic susceptibility. However, in the majority of pairs the affected twin has an unaffected co-twin. These observations suggest that non-genetically determined factors, probably environmental factors and not somatic mutations, are critical. The study of unaffected co-twins, who are at high disease-risk, has allowed the identification of changes which precede and predict the clinical disease. The immune-mediated destruction in many of these diseases is probably caused by T-lymphocytes. Twin studies have shown the importance of genetic factors in determining T-cell responses. Identical twins should, therefore, provide the perfect test bed to assess the role of T-cells in immune-mediated diseases.
8234161 Peptide stability in drug development. II. Effect of single amino acid substitution and gl 1993 Sep The determination of peptide stability in human serum (HS) or plasma constitutes a powerful screening assay for eliminating unstable peptides from further development. Herein we report on the stability in HS of several major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-binding peptides. Some of these peptides are in development for the novel treatment of selected autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and insulin-dependent diabetes. For most of the l-amino acid peptides studied, the predominant degradation mechanism is exopeptidase-catalyzed cleavage. Peptides that were protected by d-amino acids at both termini were found to be more stable than predicted, based on additivity of single substitutions. In addition, N-acetylglucosamine glycopeptides were significantly stabilized, even when the glycosylation site was several amino acids from the predominant site(s) of cleavage. This indicates that long-range stabilization is possible, and likely due to altered peptide conformation. Finally, the effect of single amino acid substitutions on peptide stability in HS was determined using a model set of poly-Ala peptides which were protected from exopeptidase cleavage, allowing the study of endopeptidase cleavage pathways.
8368516 A high throughput fluorogenic substrate for interstitial collagenase (MMP-1) and gelatinas 1993 Jul Two members of the matrix metalloproteinase family of enzymes, interstitial collagenase and 92-kDa gelatinase, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis and tumor metastasis. In order to characterize the activities of these enzymes, we have developed a fluorogenic peptide substrate which is efficiently hydrolyzed by both enzymes. This substrate was developed based on the addition of the fluorescent tag, N-methyl-anthranilic acid (Nma), to several previously synthesized substrates that had been evaluated with respect to their turnover by interstitial collagenase. One substrate, Dnp-Pro-Cha-Gly-Cys(Me)-His-Ala-Lys-(Nma)-NH2, had favorable solubility characteristics, was > 98% quenched, and produced a single cleavage product, Dnp-Pro-Cha-Gly, with a high fluorescence yield with both interstitial collagenase and 92-kDa gelatinase. Since the assay depends on measurement of increases in fluorescence, the position of the Nma group also proved to be important for optimization of the fluorescence signal. The assay is free from interference by organomercurial compounds and the cleavage product has excitation and emission spectra compatible with filters commonly available on commercial plate readers. The assay has been adapted to a 96-well format and provides a rapid screening protocol for the evaluation of inhibitors of these enzymes.
8366176 Pharmacokinetics of cyclosporine and steady-state aspirin during coadministration. 1993 Jun Anecdotal reports from clinical trials assessing the use of cyclosporine in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis suggest an association between enhanced renal impairment and combined use of cyclosporine with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. To explore possible pharmacokinetic contributions to this phenomenon, a randomized, two-period crossover investigation was performed in 24 healthy volunteers in which a single oral dose of 300 mg cyclosporine was administered alone and on day 10 of multiple oral dosing of aspirin 960 mg three times daily. Serial blood samples were obtained over 48 hours after each cyclosporine dose and over a steady-state dosing interval for aspirin on day 9 (aspirin alone) and day 10 (coadministration of cyclosporine and aspirin). Cyclosporine whole blood concentrations were determined by a specific monoclonal radioimmunoassay and plasma concentrations of acetylsalicylic acid and metabolites by high-performance liquid chromatography. Lack of a pharmacokinetic interaction was conclusively demonstrated for the rate and extent of cyclosporine and acetylsalicylic acid absorption and for the rate and extent of salicylic acid formation after a single dose of cyclosporine was coadministered during steady-state aspirin dosing. If a clear association between enhanced renal impairment and the combined use of cyclosporine and aspirin is substantiated, the underlying mechanism appears to be pharmacodynamic rather than pharmacokinetic.
8124280 [Rheumatic diseases in black Africa]. 1993 Jun There have been few epidemiological studies of bone and joint diseases in black Africa. Available data were generated by hospital studies which were inevitably flawed by selection bias. They found that the incidence and/or severity of rheumatoid arthritis were reduced in West Africa but not in urban areas of Southern and East Africa, as compared with industrialized countries. Ankylosing spondylitis was infrequent. The human immunodeficiency virus epidemic can be expected to increase the prevalence of spondyloarthropathies despite the fact that few black Africans are HLA B27-positive. Gout was the most common inflammatory joint disease seen in inpatients in West Africa and Equatorial Africa. Osteoarthritis of the fingers or hip and dysplasia of the hip were infrequent. The main causes of hip symptoms were sickle cell anemia and hemoglobin C disease whose manifestations include bone necrosis, osteomyelitis, and attacks of bone and joint pain. Osteoarthritis of the knee was common in West and Southern Africa, especially in obese women. Low back pain and sciatica due to disc herniation were as common as in Europe. Lumbar canal stenosis appeared more common in West Africa than in Southern Africa, with a predominance in females. Postmenopausal osteoporosis was exceedingly rare. Infectious diseases were prevalent as a result of underindustrialization and defective hygiene. The paucity of rheumatologists, young mean age of the population, and scarcity of population-based studies are sources of bias which should be taken into account when interpreting the available data on rheumatological diseases in black Africa. In the future, more rigorous studies made possible by increased access to health care will provide improved insight into the semiology and epidemiology of bone and joint diseases in this area.
8463458 Parenteral administration of 8-methoxypsoralen in photopheresis. 1993 Apr BACKGROUND: Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (EP) is used for the treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL), progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS), pemphigus vulgaris, and rheumatoid arthritis. During this procedure, the oral administration of the photoactive drug 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) results in an unpredictable range of serum levels and in side effects limiting its efficacy. OBJECTIVE: To circumvent this limitation, extracorporeally administrable 8-MOP (EX-8-MOP) was developed. It is administered directly to the leukocyte/plasma concentrate in the treatment bag of the EP apparatus before irradiation with UVA light. METHODS: Efficacy, tolerance, and side effects of EX-8-MOP were evaluated in 108 consecutive treatments of 16 patients who had previously been treated with oral 8-MOP (91 treatments). RESULTS: With EX-8-MOP constant drug levels for UV light exposure were obtained; for equivalent levels only a small fraction of the oral dose (1/250 to 1/500) was required with none of the side effects associated with oral 8-MOP. Effective and reproducible inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation and cell viability was attained. No difference in clinical efficacy could be observed. CONCLUSION: EX-8-MOP eliminates the need for premedication and drug level monitoring of 8-MOP and should improve the effectiveness of EP.
8493737 [Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies in human pathologies]. 1993 Mar The prevalence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) was verified in 338 patients with various rheumatic diseases using the internationally standardized indirect immunofluorescence method. The method was improved by using ethidium bromide as a nuclear counterstain. We observed three patterns of fluorescence: the classical diffuse cytoplasmic granular staining (C); the perinuclear one (P) and a yet undescribed atypical cytoplasmic distribution (A). We thus found ANCAs in 14/15 (93%) patients with active Wegener's granulomatosis: 13 were C-ANCAs, 1 was P-ANCA. We also found ANCAs in 6/25 (22%) patients with other systemis vasculitides (essentially those with small vessel vasculitis): they were C-ANCAs (3 cases) or P-ANCAs (3 cases). Finally, ANCAs were detected in 10/185 patients with various autoimmune diseases (5 with rheumatoid arthritis and 5 with systemic lupus erythematosus): they were C-ANCAs (1 case), P-ANCAs (4 cases) or A-ANCAs (5 cases). No ANCAs were found in 100 control patients with miscellaneous diseases. The isotype distribution of ANCAs is essentially limited to IgG classes and the serum titre usually reflects disease activity. The technical improvement facilitates the distinction of ANCAs from other antinuclear and anticytoplasmic autoantibodies found in connective tissue diseases. Our data emphasize the clinical importance of ANCA detection and justify our efforts to develop more specific and quantitative assays.
8097101 Comparison of the effect of oral sulphasalazine, sulphapyridine and 5-amino-salicylic acid 1993 Mar 1. Mice, whose drinking water contained sulphasalazine, sulphapyridine or 5-amino-salicylic acid, received an antigenic challenge by cholera toxin administered either orally or systemically. 2. Sulphasalazine treated mice made less specific antibody of IgA class provided the antigen also was administered orally (P = 0.009 for days 7-28). When the antigen was administered systemically, there was a vigorous anti-cholera toxin antibody response of IgG class, and a lesser IgM but only a weak IgA response. The effect of sulphasalazine in this case was confined to the IgG response, which was significantly suppressed on day 28 (P = 0.008). 3. Sulphapyridine and 5-amino salicylic acid had no significant effect on the anti-cholera toxin (CT) responses of all three classes. 4. It therefore appears that in this model, only sulphasalazine is capable of influencing the humoral immune system, the antibody class affected depending on the route of entry of antigen. This may have implications for conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic inflammatory bowel disease, for which sulphasalazine has been found useful.
8131658 [The influence of Chinese traditional medicine on the production and activity of interleuk 1993 Feb Interleukin 1 (IL-1) is a cytokine closely related to the pathogenesis of inflammation and chronic destructive changes in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Analysis of the effect of antirheumatic drugs on IL-1 production and activity is of great importance in exploring the therapeutic mechanism of RA. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of Chinese herbs (10 prescription and 15 single drugs), which was often used in the treatment of RA, on the production and activity of IL-1. The production of IL-1 was tested through human monocytes stimulated with zymosan and measured by ELISA method; the activity of IL-1 was measured by its effect on the proliferation of murine thymocytes. The results showed that Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook, Tripterygil Hyhoglauci Tetrandrine significantly inhibited both of IL-1 production and IL-1 activity; while Aconiti Tuber, Ephedrae Herba, Atractyloidis Rhizoma, Atractyloidis Lanceae Rhizoma, Ledebouiellae Radix slightly inhibited IL-1 activity but not affecting IL-1 production. The ten prescriptions had no inhibitory effect on both of IL-1 production and IL-1 activity.
7932630 Human neutrophil priming: chemiluminescence modified by hydroxyapatite and three bisphosph 1993 Activated inflammatory cells, particularly neutrophil granulocytes, are thought to play an important role in the tissue damage associated with several chronic inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis. Of importance to pathogenesis may be the interaction of cells and hydroxyapatite (HA) crystals, both present in synovial fluid, and to therapy, the ameliorating influence of many groups of drugs, including the bisphosphonates. The aim of this in vitro study was to verify the priming effect of serum-coated HA particles on human neutrophils, and investigate possible modification by three bisphosphonates in current clinical use; clodronate, etidronate, and pamidronate. After incubation of neutrophils with drugs alone, HA or drug/HA combinations over a bisphosphonate concentration range of 1.10(-5) to 1.10(5) micrograms/ml, for 60 or 270 min, resultant luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) was monitored as millivoltage after further challenge with serum-treated zymosan. As previously shown, HA produced a profound priming to the second challenge and this was not appreciably altered by the drugs bound to HA, except at the highest concentrations. Pamidronate, in particular, appeared to sustain the cell activity even at these high concentrations, well beyond the tissue levels achieved in clinical therapeutics. Only at highest concentrations of 1.10(3) and 1.10(5) micrograms/ml did the drugs alone inhibit cellular activity, when challenged with zymosan. This study therefore, confirmed the ability of HA particles to strongly prime human neutrophils and the low toxicity of the three bisphosphonates tested within this cell model.
1285866 Treatment with immunosuppressive and disease modifying drugs during pregnancy and lactatio 1992 Oct Active rheumatic disease may necessitate the treatment of pregnant and lactating patients with disease modifying (DMARD) or immunosuppressive drugs. This review summarizes data from the literature, and attempts to give some recommendations. Possible teratogenic effects of gold, penicillamine, and chloroquine are still disputed. As long as the issue is not settled, it seems prudent to stop using these agents as soon as pregnancy is diagnosed. Hydroxychloroquine has been used by some rheumatologists for treating pregnant patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) without malformations detected in the neonates. Sulphasalazine does not increase the rate of congenital abnormalities. Selected case reports have not shown any teratogenicity of cyclosporine A so far. However, the drug may cause fetal retardation. The use of standard doses of azathioprine does not increase the risk of congenital anomalies. By contrast, the antitumor agents cyclophosphamide, chlorambucil, and methotrexate are possibly teratogenic when given during early pregnancy, but may be less harmful in late pregnancy. Data on the excretion of DMARD and the cytostatic drugs are sparse. Because of insufficient data, breast feeding is not recommended in patients on antimalarials, penicillamine, cyclosporine A, and cytostatic drugs. Intramuscular gold and sulphasalazine seem to impose no major risk on the nursing infant.
1344840 [Respective prevalences and frequencies of Horton's disease and rhizomelic pseudopolyarthr 1992 Sep Using a research network of general practitioners (Resomed 44) representing the 20th of all GP's in the Loire Atlantique region and distributed at random according to district, age and sex made it possible to evaluate the respective prevalences of temporal arteritis (TA) and polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) in all the systemic immune diseases listed. Among these diseases, rheumatoid arthritis was the most frequent (35.39%). TA (18.8%) and PMR (18.54%) had about the same prevalence. For each of these diseases the year/physician prevalence was evaluated at 0.11, which means that the probability for each GP to see 1 TA and 1 RP at once in 10 years. At the time of the survey, 52.9% of TA patients and 78.8% of PMR patients were surviving. GP's alone follow up more TA's and PMR's than the other systemic immune diseases.
1386064 Reliability and validity of self and proxy reporting of morbidity data: a case study from 1992 Jun We compared the self-reported illnesses (heart disease, back pain, rheumatoid arthritis, hypertension, and pulmonary disease) and smoking histories of 100 cases and 100 controls matched for age and sex with reports of this information from proxy informants from the same household in two areas in the city of Beirut. In addition, both cases and controls were given physical examinations to evaluate the accuracy of the responses. The level of agreement between the responses of subjects and of their informants varied from one condition to the other. Heart disease had the highest level of agreement, with the proportion of agreement greater than 93% for the cases and the controls and having chi values of 0.79 and 1.0, respectively. The report of back pain exhibited the lowest level of agreement, with responses showing a proportion of agreement of 74% for the cases and 90% for the controls, with chi values of 0.49 and 0.50, respectively. In comparing the responses of subjects and proxy informants with the results of physical examinations, heart disease had the highest level of agreement (J index ranged from 0.69 to 0.84), and back pain had the lowest level of agreement (J index ranged 0.42 to 0.48). These results show that proxy informants are good respondents for members of the same household and that health interview surveys are accurate for data collection of well defined chronic conditions.
1376630 Clinical value of measuring the interferon-induced enzyme 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase 1992 Apr 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase, an interferon-induced enzyme and a sensitive indicator of the presence of interferon, was measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells in children with inflammatory disorders of known and unknown origin in order to assess the value of such a test in patient management. Differences in median 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase values in groups of children with viral or bacterial diseases or healthy children were observed. Considerable overlap of the 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase range in the three groups was observed. All children with acute viral infections had increased levels early in their disease and a low value clearly argued against an acute viral infection. However, as more than one-third of children with bacterial diseases displayed elevated 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase concentrations, distinction between a viral and bacterial cause of disease by measuring this enzyme was difficult. Estimation of 2'-5'-oligoadenylate synthetase concentrations in patients with inflammatory diseases of unknown origin, including juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, idiopathic uveitis and glomerulonephritis did not contribute to establishing a diagnosis or measuring disease activity.
1505104 Interferon-gamma increases human neutrophil-mediated cartilage proteoglycan degradation. 1992 Mar Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) is known to activate neutrophils and is produced by the synoviocytes, macrophages, T cells and other inflammatory cells in rheumatoid arthritis. Neutrophils participate in articular cartilage destruction and predominate in the synovial fluid of inflamed joints during the early stages and acute exacerbations of the disease. In this study we investigated the effect of recombinant human IFN-gamma on human neutrophil damage to bovine articular cartilage explants which had been coated with heat-aggregated IgG (HAGG). Cartilage proteoglycan degradation by neutrophils was augmented by IFN-gamma at 10(2)-10(4) U/ml. IFN-gamma also increased neutrophil-mediated proteoglycan degradation when the cells were preincubated with IFN-gamma and washed before addition to cartilage. This activity of IFN-gamma was abolished by boiling and was unaffected by polymixin B, indicating that the effects of IFN-gamma were not due to endotoxin contamination. In the absence of neutrophils IFN-gamma had no effect on proteoglycan metabolism, and the ability of IFN-gamma to increase neutrophil-mediated proteoglycan degradation did not require living chondrocytes. Adherence of neutrophils to HAGG-coated and uncoated cartilage explants was enhanced by IFN-gamma. Opsonisation of the cartilage with HAGG also increased the adhesion of neutrophils. In contrast to the enhancement of neutrophil-mediated proteoglycan degradation, IFN-gamma had no effect on the inhibition of proteoglycan synthesis by neutrophils.