Differences in prostanoid production between healthy and rheumatic synovia in vitro.

To evaluate further the complex role of prostanoids in rheumatoid arthritis we compared the immunoreactive prostanoid production of healthy and rheumatic synovial cells in a primary cell culture. During the first days in culture the adherent cells from rheumatic synovia produced higher amounts of prostanoids, especially the proinflammatory and immunosuppressive prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), than cells originating from non-inflamed synovia. This difference disappeared within one week culture and was partly explained by altered substrate availability.