Mast cells in inflammatory arthritis

Table 1 Selected mast cell mediators and their potential roles in arthritis

Mediator	Some relevant functions
Granules
Histamine	Vascular permeability, leukocyte recruitment, fibroblast/chondrocyte activation
Heparin	Angiogenesis, osteoclast differentiation and activation
Neutral proteases	Matrix degradation, leukocyte recruitment, fibroblast activation
TNF	Leukocyte recruitment, fibroblast/chondrocyte activation
Eicosanoid mediators
PGD₂	Vascular permeability, neutrophil recruitment
LTB₄	Vascular permeability, leukocyte recruitment and activation
Cysteinyl leukotrienes	Vascular permeability, immunomodulatory (LTC₄)
Cytokines/chemokines
IL-1	Leukocyte recruitment, fibroblast/chondrocyte activation, angiogenesis
IL-2	Lymphocyte stimulation
IL-3	Leukocyte growth factor
IL-4	Immunomodulatory, profibrotic
IL-6	Activation of leukocytes and fibroblasts
IL-8	Neutrophil recruitment
IL-10	Immunomodulatory
IL-13	Immunomodulatory, B cell stimulation
IL-18	Angiogenesis, lymphocyte stimulation
TNF	Leukocyte recruitment, fibroblast/chondrocyte activation, angiogenesis
IFN-γ	Activation of synovial macrophages
TGF-β	Immunomodulatory, fibroblast mitogen, angiogenesis
PDGF	Fibroblast mitogen
VEGF	Fibroblast mitogen, angiogenesis
bFGF	Fibroblast mitogen
NGF	Fibroblast mitogen
MCP-1	Leukocyte recruitment
MIP-1α, MIP-1β	Leukocyte recruitment, osteoclast differentiation
RANTES	Leukocyte recruitment

bFGF, basic fibroblast growth factor; IFN, interferon; IL, interleukin; LTB₄, leukotriene B₄; LTC₄, leukotriene C₄; MCP-1, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1; MIP, macrophage inflammatory protein; NGF, nerve growth factor; PDGF, platelet-derived growth factor; PGD₂, prostaglandin D₂; RANTES, regulated upon activation, normal T-cell expressed and secreted; TGF-β, transforming growth factor-β; TNF, tumor necrosis factor; VEGF, vascular endothelial growth factor. See text for references.

ISSN: 1478-6362