Interleukin-1-induced glenohumeral synovitis and shoulder pain in rotator cuff diseases

Gotoh, Masafumi; Hamada, Kazutoshi; Yamakawa, Hideyuki; Yanagisawa, Kazuhiro; Nakamura, Masato; Yamazaki, Hitoshi; Inoue, Akio; Fukuda, Hiroaki

Synovitis of the subacromial bursa has been identified as a main source of shoulder pain in rotator cuff diseases. Little interest, however, has been paid into the synovitis of glenohumeral joint. The mRNA expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonists produced in the synovitis reflect the magnitude of inflammation. The present study was undertaken to determine the relationship between mRNA expression levels of IL-1β and its receptor antagonists (secreted interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) and intracellular IL-1ra) in the synovium of the glenohumeral joint and shoulder pain in rotator cuff diseases, analyzing the synovial specimens by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Thirty-five patients with rotator cuff diseases were candidates. Based on the presence of cuff perforation, they were divided into two categories: 16 with non-perforating tears and 19 with perforating tears. The degree of shoulder pain was evaluated by use of a visual analogue scale. The pain degree of non-perforating tears was significantly greater than that of perforating tears (P). In contrast, the expression levels of the cytokine-mRNAs were constitutively greater in perforating tears than in non-perforating tears (P, respectively). The expression levels of the cytokine-mRNAs were inversely correlated with the degree of pain (IL-1β: r=0.930; secreted IL-1ra: r=0.861; intracellular IL-1ra: r=0.932, P respectively). These results suggest that the expression levels of the cytokine-mRNAs in the synovium of the glenohumeral joint contribute less to the generation of shoulder pain in rotator cuff diseases.

SHOULDER pain; ROTATOR cuff; INTERLEUKINS

Journal of Orthopaedic Research, 2002, Vol 20, Issue 6, p1365

0736-0266

Academic Journal

10.1016/S0736-0266(02)00063-3