Journal of Immunology Research (Jan 2022)

Expanded CD1c+CD163+ DC3 Population in Synovial Tissues Is Associated with Disease Progression of Osteoarthritis

  • Guowei Qiu,
  • Sheng Zhong,
  • Jun Xie,
  • Hui Feng,
  • Songtao Sun,
  • Chenxin Gao,
  • Xirui Xu,
  • Bingxin Kang,
  • Hui Xu,
  • Chi Zhao,
  • Lei Ran,
  • A. Xinyu,
  • Bo Xu,
  • Xiaohui Meng,
  • Lu Meng,
  • Xiaoming Zhang,
  • Lianbo Xiao

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9634073
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 2022

Abstract

Read online

The mechanisms underlying osteoarthritis (OA) have recently been hypothesized to involve a dysfunctional immune system. In this study, we collected synovium, synovial fluid (SF), and peripheral blood from 21 patients. Mononuclear cells were characterized using FCM. H&E staining and mIHC histological assessment of synovium were performed. Cytokine levels in the SF were measured using ELISA. We observed similar frequencies of immune cells in the synovium and SF, which were enriched in DCs. Notably, CD1c+CD163+ DC3s were expanded in the synovium and SF. Furthermore, we found that DC3s were primarily located within the ectopic lymphoid-like structure (ELLS) in close proximity to CD8+ T cells. Finally, the level of TNF-α and IL12p70 in the SF correlated with the severity of OA. These data suggest that OA is an immune system-related disease and that DC3s may play an active role in OA progression by promoting ELLS formation and inflammatory responses.