Glycosaminoglycan synthesis by Dupuytren's cells in culture.

Glycosaminoglycan synthesis by cells cultured from nodule or band tissues of patients with Dupuytren's disease was compared with that of skin fibroblasts cultured from uninvolved areas of the palm. No differences were observed in culture which could account either for the abnormal glycosaminoglycan content or the increased cellularity of the diseased tissues. It is suggested that the behavior of Dupuytren's cells in vivo may result from a response to local conditions within the palm rather than from the expression of an irreversible change in their glycosaminoglycan metabolism.