Is CD163 - A Marker of Progression in Osteoarthritis?

    CD163 is a cell surface glycoprotein as known as a hemoglobin/haptoglobin scavenger receptor. The Soluble form of CD163 attenuates macrophages immune response. The aim of this study is to describe the effect of CD 163 phagocytes on progression and joint destruction by osteoarthritis (OA). Twenty OA patients participated in this study. The mean age of patients was 68 ± 8 years (range 46 to 75 years) and the male to female le ratio was 1.5, with 10.6 ± 6.3 years mean duration of OA disease. Twenty synovial biopsies of OA patients and 10 healthy control (HC) specimens were analyzed for CD163 expression (using the immunohistochemistry method) with soluble CD163 (using the ELISA method) in synovial fluid (SF) as well as sCD163 in the serum of. The score of CD163 expression in the synovial intima (P < 0.01), the subintima (P < 0.01) and periarticular area (P < 0.02) increased in OA as compared with the healthy control group. Synovial fluid sCD163 and serum sCD163 levels increased in the OA sample population as compared with the healthy control group. Also, Synovial fluid and serum sCD163 positively associated with ESR and CRP (P < 0.02, P < 0.01and P < 0.06, P < 0.06 respectively). The mean concentration of SF sCD163 was about 2 times higher than in serum in OA patients (P < 0.01). There was no correlation between clinical findings of patients and SF leukocyte count the (P < 0.09). This study shows increased numbers of CD163 macrophages with an enhanced phagocytes infiltration within the degenerated synovium as well as the local production of serum and SF sCD163. Therefore, these cells could provide a future therapeutic strategy for osteoarthritis.