Stimulation of human synovial fibroblast DNA synthesis by recombinant human cytokines

Abstract

The pronounced synovial hyperplasia often found in rheumatoid joints can be explained at least partially, by the interaction of monocyte-macrophage polypeptides (monokines) and lymphocyte polypeptides (lymphokines) with synovial fibroblast-like cells. We now report that purified recombinant human cytokines, interleukin-1α, interleukin-1β, tumor necrosis factor α, tumor necrosis factor β (or lymphotoxin) and, to a variable extent, interferon-γ, stimulate the DNA synthesis of human synovial fibroblast-like cells cultured in low (i.e., 1%) fetal bovine serum. With the exception of interferon-γ, the effects of the cytokines were generally elevated by indomethacin, suggesting inhibition of the DN..