Huber L C, Distler O, Tarner I, Gay R E, Gay S, Pap T
Center of Experimental Rheumatology, University Hospital Zurich, Gloriastrasse 23CH-8091 Zürich, Switzerland.
Rheumatology (Oxford). 2006 Jun;45(6):669-75. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kel065. Epub 2006 Mar 27.
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune-disease of unknown origin that primarily affects the joints and ultimately leads to their destruction. The involvement of immune cells is a general hallmark of autoimmune-related disorders. In this regard, macrophages, T cells and their respective cytokines play a pivotal role in RA. However, the notion that RA is a primarily T-cell-dependent disease has been strongly challenged during recent years. Rather, it has been understood that resident, fibroblast-like cells contribute significantly to the perpetuation of disease, and that they may even play a role in its initiation. These rheumatoid arthritis synovial fibroblasts (RASFs) constitute a quite unique cell type that distinguishes RA from other inflammatory conditions of the joints. A number of studies have demonstrated that RASFs show alterations in morphology and behaviour, including molecular changes in signalling cascades, apoptosis responses and in the expression of adhesion molecules as well as matrix-degrading enzymes. These changes appear to reflect a stable activation of RASFs, which occurs independently of continuous exogenous stimulation. As a consequence, RASFs are no longer considered passive bystanders but active players in the complex intercellular network of RA.
类风湿性关节炎（RA）是一种病因不明的慢性自身免疫性疾病，主要影响关节并最终导致关节破坏。免疫细胞的参与是自身免疫相关疾病的一个普遍特征。在这方面，巨噬细胞、T细胞及其各自的细胞因子在类风湿性关节炎中起关键作用。然而，近年来，类风湿性关节炎主要是T细胞依赖性疾病这一观点受到了强烈挑战。相反，人们已经认识到驻留的成纤维样细胞对疾病的持续存在有显著贡献，甚至可能在疾病的起始中发挥作用。这些类风湿性关节炎滑膜成纤维细胞（RASFs）构成了一种相当独特的细胞类型，使类风湿性关节炎有别于其他关节炎症性疾病。多项研究表明，类风湿性关节炎滑膜成纤维细胞在形态和行为上表现出改变，包括信号级联、凋亡反应以及黏附分子和基质降解酶表达的分子变化。这些变化似乎反映了类风湿性关节炎滑膜成纤维细胞的稳定激活，这种激活独立于持续的外源性刺激而发生。因此，类风湿性关节炎滑膜成纤维细胞不再被视为被动旁观者，而是类风湿性关节炎复杂细胞间网络中的积极参与者。
