Fig. 5

Neuro-inflammatory genes are upregulated in cells derived from rotator cuff tendon tears versus control cells. The expression of the TNF-α (9.5-fold, p = 0.0009), CD45 (12.3-fold, p = 0.03), CD206 (2-fold, p = 0.004), NMDAR1 (3.5-fold, p = 0.003), KA1 (7.5-fold, p = 0.049) and mGluR2 (205-fold, p = 0.0006) genes was significantly increased in tendon tear-derived cells (a) proliferation, cell surface markers and matrix genes (b) cytokine and glutaminergic genes (n = 7 tendon tear-derived and 5 controls). The boxes represent median +/− interquartile range, while the whiskers represent range. Numbers in outlined boxes represent fold change in gene expression. Statistical significance denoted by ^* p <0.05, ^** p <0.01, ^*** p <0.001. KA1 kainate receptor 1, mGluR metabotropic glutamate receptor, NMDAR N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor, TNF-α tumour necrosis factor alpha