We assessed calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) expression in monocytes isolated from synovial fluid of patients with different types of rheumatisms and explored whether CaSR expression was related to the inflammatory nature of synovial fluid.

Forty-one patients were included: osteoarthritis (n=10), microcristallin rheumatisms (n=10), rheumatoid arthritis (n=12) and other inflammatory rheumatisms (n=9). Surface and total CaSR expressions in monocytes isolated from synovial fluid and blood were assessed by flow cytometry analysis. U937 cells were cultured during 24hours in presence of cell-free synovial fluids.

Every monocyte population tested express the CaSR intra- and extracellularly. Whereas similar pattern of CaSR expression exist in monocyte isolated from blood or synovial fluids, our results indicate that higher CaSR expression levels can be observed in monocytes from synovial fluids than in circulating monocytes. In both populations of monocytes, surface and total CaSR expressions were found to be significantly increased in patients with osteoarthritis compared to rheumatoid arthritis. Similar data were obtained when U937 cells were incubated with cell-free synovial fluids from osteoarthritis patients. Still present, this effect was significantly lowered when “inflammatory” synovial fluids were introduced in culture.

Our results indicate that CaSR expression in synovial derived monocytes is higher in osteoarthritis than in inflammatory rheumatisms and that CaSR expression is modulated by the nature of the synovial fluid. Given the role played by monocytes in the pathogenesis of chronic rheumatisms, monocytes could be interesting therapeutic targets via the CaSR.