B Cell Clonal Expansion and Somatic Hypermutation of Ig Variable Heavy Chain Genes in the Synovial Membrane of Patients with Osteoarthritis

Abstract excerpt

Inflammatory mediators have been explored as possible factors in the initiation and/or progression of osteoarthritis (OA). This study shows that synovial infiltration by B lymphocytes is present in almost half of the knee OA cases. The degree of B lymphocyte infiltration is associated with more pronounced synovial inflammation and with the presence of plasma cells and lymphoid follicles in more severe cases. To...