Collagenolytic Activity of Synovium in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Abstract

Synovial specimens from 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis and eight patients with noninflammatory synovial conditions were studied for enzymatic activity capable of degrading collagen in vitro. On culture of the specimens, a collagenase was found that was operative at physiologic pH and cleaved the collagen molecule at a single site, a property of other vertebrate collagenases. This collagenase was not detected in the media of noninflammatory control synovial cultures but was produced by 20 of the 24 rheumatoid synovia. The amount of collagenolytic activity measured in the rheumatoid synovial cultures was directly related to both local and systemic disease activity.