LEVEL OF NERVE GROWTH-FACTOR AND DISTRIBUTION OF MAST-CELLS IN THE SYNOVIUM OF TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR TRANSGENIC ARTHRITIC MICE

We have recently reported that nerve growth factor (NGF) increases in the synovium of patients affected by arthritis, as well as in animal m odels. We report here that the synovium of transgenic arthritic mice e xpressing human tumour necrosis factor (TNF) contains numerous mast ce lls (MC) and that their appearance is a phenomenon which was correlate d to the local increase in NGF level. These findings provide further e vidence that NGF plays a role in inflammation and suggest a functional link between NGF and MC.