Clinical immunology

Arthritogenic dsRNA is present in synovial fluid from rheumatoid arthritis patients with an erosive disease course

  1. Maria Bokarewa1,
  2. Andrej Tarkowski†,
  3. Magnus Lind2,
  4. Leif Dahlberg3,
  5. Mattias Magnusson1,*

Article first published online: 7 NOV 2008

DOI: 10.1002/eji.200838362

Issue

European Journal of Immunology

European Journal of Immunology

Volume 38, Issue 11, pages 3237–3244, November 2008

Additional Information

How to Cite

Bokarewa, M., Tarkowski, A., Lind, M., Dahlberg, L. and Magnusson, M. (2008), Arthritogenic dsRNA is present in synovial fluid from rheumatoid arthritis patients with an erosive disease course. Eur. J. Immunol., 38: 3237–3244. doi: 10.1002/eji.200838362

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden

  2. 2

    Department of Virology, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Göteborg, Sweden

  3. 3

    Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital UMAS, University of Lund, Malmö, Sweden

  1. †

    Deceased

*Rheumatology and Inflammation Research, The Sahlgrenska Academy at Göteborg University, Guldhedsgatan 10A, 413 46 Göteborg, Sweden Fax: +46-31-823925

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 7 NOV 2008
  2. Article first published online: 7 NOV 2008
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 27 AUG 2008
  4. Manuscript Revised: 7 AUG 2008
  5. Manuscript Received: 25 MAR 2008

Funded by

  • Gustav V 80-year foundation
  • Adlerbert Research Foundation
  • Hiertas Foundation
  • Thölens Foundation
  • Goljes Foundation
  • Swedish Association
  • The Swedish Society of Medicine
  • Lundberg Foundation
  • Torsten and Ragnar Söderbergs Foundation
  • Swedish National Inflammation Network
  • Nanna Svartz' Foundation
  • Börje Dahlin's Foundation
  • Göteborg University, LUA/ALF
  • Swedish Research Council

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Keywords:

  • dsRNA;
  • Inflammation;
  • Interferons;
  • Rheumatology;
  • Virology

Abstract

Viruses may be part of the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Double stranded RNA (dsRNA) is a prototypic viral conformation of nucleic acid that is highly arthritogenic in mice. Therefore, we developed an ELISA to detect dsRNA in sera and synovial fluids (SF) in RA patients and in osteoarthritic controls. The developed ELISA recognizes picogram levels of viral or synthetic dsRNA but shows no reactivity against DNA, synthetic ssRNA, or total RNA prepared from mammalian cells. Before analysis by ELISA, each sample was subjected to RNA precipitation. The RA patients had significantly higher levels of dsRNA than the osteoarthritis patients in SF and in sera. In 7 of 17 RA patients, EBV was present in SF and in all but one of these this was accompanied by the presence of dsRNA. No parvovirus, cytomegalovirus, or polyomavirus was detected. The anti-viral cytokine IFN-α was detected in SF in 10 of 21 RA patients, but in none of the osteoarthritis patients. Notably, RA patients with erosive disease course had significantly higher levels of dsRNA in SF than non-erosive patients, but no correlation between dsRNA levels and the presence of RF or levels of C-reactive protein, IL-6, or IFN-α was observed.

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