Contribution of Mast cells in pathology of obese osteoarthritis patients

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18073
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56020:Orthopedics-related
• Research Institution: Kitasato University
• Principal Investigator: Takano Shotaro 北里大学, 医学部, 助教 (10596505)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 変形性関節症 / 肥満 / 肥満細胞

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The mechanisms governing evidence that obesity is a risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA) are not well understood. This study investigated the expression of the β-tryptase encoding gene, TPSB2, in the SM of obese patients with knee OA and β-tryptase-mediated regulation of IL-1β in synovial cells.
A total of 216 patients radiographically diagnosed with knee OA were grouped according to the World Health Organization’s body mass index (BMI) classifications: normal weight (NW), overweight (OW) and obese (OB). There was significantly elevated TPSB2 expression in the OW and OB groups compared to the NW group. The MC-rich fraction had significantly higher levels of TPSB2, CD117 and CD203c than the MC-poor fraction. Recombinant human β-tryptase stimulated IL1B expression in both the synovial fibroblast and macrophage fractions. Obese patients with knee OA showed elevated TPSB2 expression in the SM. Tryptase may play a role in synovial inflammation in obese patients with OA.

Free Research Field

整形外科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

肥満変形性関節症患者の病態に肥満細胞およびその産生因子が関与することを示した。本研究成果は、２４００万人を超える変形性関節症患者の新規治療法開発に貢献できると考えられる。