Figure 3

In-vitro-induced differentiation of bone marrow-derived and synovium-derived adherent cells. (a) Chondrogenic differentiation was evaluated after 21 days in micropellet culture. Expression of the specific markers for chondrogenesis (collagen type II [Col2] and aggrecan [Agg]) was determined by quantitative RT-PCR from the various samples: eight bone marrow (BM) mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) (four healthy, two osteoarthritis [OA], two rheumatoid arthritis [RA]) and eight synovium-MSC (four RA, two OA, two RA). (b) Osteogenic differentiation was evaluated after 21 days in monolayers. Expression of the osteogenic markers (osteocalcin [OC] and alkaline phosphatase [AP]) was determined by quantitative RT-PCR from the various samples: eight BM-MSC (four healthy, two OA, two RA) and eight synovium-MSC (four RA, two OA, two healthy). The expression levels were normalized on the basis of GAPDH expression, and the results are reported as ratios of the marker gene versus GAPDH using the formulae 2^-ΔCt (×100) ± standard error of the mean. Statistics compared eight cell samples from BM and eight cell samples from the synovium. * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01.