Does connexin43 enhance the expression of osteoarthritis-associated genes in synovial fibroblasts in culture?
Increasing or decreasing Cx43 expression alone was sufficient to alter the levels of catabolic and inflammatory genes expressed by synovial cells. The NFκB cascade mediated the effect of Cx43 on the expression of a subset of these OA-associated genes. As such, Cx43 may be involved in joint pathology during OA, and targeting Cx43 expression or function may be a viable therapeutic strategy to attenuate the catabolic and inflammatory environment of the joint during OA.
Glucocorticoids are the first-line treatment in type 2 AIT, whereas thionamides play no role in this destructive thyroiditis.