Analysis of Inflammatory Leukocyte and Endothelial Chemotactic Activity

The ingress of leukocytes into the synovium is a key event in inflammatory arthritis, such as rheumatoid arthritis. A number of soluble inflammatory mediators, such as chemokines, cytokines, and soluble adhesion molecules are involved in this event. It is feasible to test the chemotactic activity of mononuclear cells or endothelial cells using in vitro chemotaxis assays. The role of various chemotactic mediators in inflammatory synovitis can also be assessed using these systems by including these agents in the assay. There we describe monocyte and endothelial cell chemotaxis assays used in our laboratory.