Abnormal mitochondria in cultured synovial fibroblasts in rheumatoid and reactive arthritis?

This paper summarizes our recent studies on synovial fibroblast cultures started from patients with rheumatoid or reactive arthritis and from healthy controls. Analysis of these cultures by flow cytometry, spectroscopy and electron microscopy revealed consistent differences between arthritic and normal fibroblasts. Increased autofluorescence, exceptional light scatter properties, rhodamine-123 staining and electron microscopic findings of fibroblasts from arthritis patients suggest involvement of mitochondria in the disease process. Conditioned media of activated monocytes induced in the mitochondria of normal synovial fibroblasts changes similar to those observed in the fibroblasts originating from patients with rheumatoid or reactive arthritis.