Blood induced joint damage is a line of research in which our expertise on cartilage is merged with the clinical expertise on blood induced arthropathy from the vanCreveldkliniek of the dept. of hematology (see collaborations). This work provides clear evidence that blood in a joint, due to trauma, or recurrent bleeding as in hemophilic arthropathy has devastating effects resulting within a short time in the initiation of irreversible joint damage.
This damage is the consequence of the formation of hydroxyl radicals in the vicinity of the articular chondrocytes, leading to apoptosis of these chondrocytes. These hydroxyl radicals are formed when hydrogen peroxide, synthesized by chondrocytes upon stimulation by IL-1, originating from activated monocytes/macrophages as present in the blood, reacts with haemoglobin-derived iron from damaged and phagocytosed red blood cells. The apoptosis of the chondrocytes leads to disturbance and impairment of the cartilage matrix turnover and hence to cartilage matrix damage.
For more information contact Dr Goris Roosendaal (email: G.Roosendaal@umcutrecht.nl) or Drs Nathalie Jansen (email: N.W.D.Jansen@umcutrecht.nl)