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Substance P immunoreactive fibers of synovial tissue in patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury

  • Knee
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Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Substance P, a neuropeptide, exerts proinflammatory effects and transmits the sensation of pain. Substance P immunoreactive fibers of the synovial tissue were examined to investigate the significance of Substance P in the traumatic joint. Biopsy specimens from 15 patients (eight female and seven male) with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury were examined immunohistochemically with semi-quantitative counting to correlate Substance P positive fibers of the synovial tissue with clinical data, pain intensity on a visual analog scale, and serous inflammatory indicators. The total (sum of the three compartments) expression of Substance P in females of 571.9±255.1 cm−2 was significantly greater than that of males of 241.2±126.6 cm−2. In the female group, the total number of Substance P immunoreactive fibers was significantly correlated with pain intensity (r=0.804); in the male group, there was no significant correlation with pain intensity. The expression of Substance P in the female infrapatellar fat pad was statistically significantly correlated with pre- and postoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate as inflammation indicators. In the male group, there was no such correlation. Substance P was well- correlated with pain and inflammatory reaction in the female joint. Neural inflammation and neural pain occur more strongly in female joints.

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Acknowledgements

We all thank Ms. Miyoko Ojima for her dedicating contribution to the histological analyses. Also, we appreciate Professor Kenichi Shinomiya for his special support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Orthopedic Surgery, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, 113-8519, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Bo Zhang, Takeshi Muneta & Ichiro Sekiya

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, Tokyo Medical and Dental University Hospital, 1-5-45 Yushima, 113-8519, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Kazuyoshi Yagishita

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  1. Bo Zhang
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  2. Takeshi Muneta
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  3. Kazuyoshi Yagishita
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  4. Ichiro Sekiya
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Correspondence to Takeshi Muneta.

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Zhang, B., Muneta, T., Yagishita, K. et al. Substance P immunoreactive fibers of synovial tissue in patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 14, 404–410 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-005-0707-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-005-0707-9

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