Abstract

Objective: To determine whether synovial expression of triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM-1) is upregulated in patients with distinct types of inflammatory or non-inflammatory arthritis.

Methods: Synovial fluid (SF) samples were analysed for levels of soluble TREM-1 (sTREM; n  =  132), tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα, n  =  78) and leucocyte TREM-1 messenger RNA (n  =  48). Synovial tissue from four rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, two patients with Crohn’s-associated arthritis, one patient with ankylosing spondylitis and one patient with osteoarthritis were examined for TREM-1 expression by immunohistology, and three of the RA samples were also analysed by Western blotting.

Results: Synovial fluid sTREM-1 levels in septic arthritis and RA were similar to each other and were each greater than those in gouty arthritis, non-septic/non-RA inflammatory arthritis and non-inflammatory arthritis. Synovial fluid TNFα and sTREM-1 levels correlated with each other, and sTREM-1 and leucocyte TREM-1 mRNA levels each correlated with SF leucocyte counts. TREM-1 in RA was expressed in situ in synovial tissue by cells of myelomonocytic lineage but was not detectably expressed in control osteoarthritis synovial tissue.

Conclusions: Synovial TREM-1 expression is increased in septic arthritis and RA. In patients with acute inflammatory arthritis, elevated SF sTREM-1 levels may point the clinician to a diagnosis of septic arthritis or RA. In RA patients, targeting TREM-1 may have therapeutic benefits by reducing local proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine release.