Evaluation of the collagenase 3 mRNA expression in various areas of the synovial membrane of patients with RA
| Tissue sample | Synovial lining | Subsynovial interstitium | CD68+ macrophages | Lymphoid infiltrates | Endothelial cells |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| −, No positive cells; +/−, <5% positive cells; +, 5–30% positive cells; ++, 30–60% positive cells; +++, >60% positive cells. | |||||
| The histopathological examination of various structures of the synovial membrane was combined with the detection of collagenase 3 mRNA expression by in situ hybridisation. In addition, macrophages were labelled immunohistochemically with an anti-CD68 mAb and endothelial cells were identified using an mAb against type IV collagen of the basal membrane. Synovial membrane samples of 10 different patients with RA were examined | |||||
| 1 | ++ | +/− | +/− | − | − |
| 2 | ++ | ++ | +/− | − | − |
| 3 | ++ | ++ | +/− | − | − |
| 4 | − | − | − | − | − |
| 5 | +/− | − | − | − | − |
| 6 | ++ | ++ | +/− | − | +/− |
| 7 | +/− | +/− | − | − | − |
| 8 | +++ | ++ | +/− | − | +/− |
| 9 | ++ | ++ | +/− | − | − |
| 10 | +++ | + | +/− | − | − |