Francesca Oliviero

Publications (53) View all

• Article: Epigallocatechin-3-gallate reduces inflammation induced by calcium pyrophosphate crystals in vitro.

  Francesca Oliviero, Paolo Sfriso, Anna Scanu, Ugo Fiocco, Paolo Spinella, Leonardo Punzi
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  ABSTRACT: Although osteoarthritis (OA) is defined as a cartilage disease, synovitis involving mononuclear cell infiltration and overexpression of proinflammatory mediators is common in early and late OA. Calcium crystals deposition is thought to be a factor that likely contributes to synovial inflammation. In recent years, significant interest has emerged in the beneficial health effects attributed to the green tea polyphenols and in particular to epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). It has been demonstrated that some of the actions of EGCG are linked to its ability to interfere with cell membranes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of EGCG in some inflammatory aspects of OA and whether EGCG is able to interfere with membrane organization. We assessed the effect of EGCG on the production of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines released by human fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) and THP-1 cells stimulated with calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystals in presence of methyl-β-cyclodextrin (MβCD), a cholesterol-removing agent that disturbs lipid raft structures. The chemotactic effect of culture supernatants was also evaluated. EGCG inhibited interleukin (IL)-1β, transforming growth factor beta, IL-8, and chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2) release by stimulated FLS and/or THP-1 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Supernatants of CPP-stimulated cells induced the migration of neutrophils and mononuclear cells which decreased in a dose-dependent manner in the presence of EGCG. EGCG increased cell viability when added to THP-1 cells treated with MβCD. Furthermore, MβCD enhanced the inflammatory response to CPP crystals increasing IL-8 and CCL2 secretion which was inhibited by EGCG in a dose-dependent manner. This study showed that EGCG is able to reduce the inflammatory response induced by CPP crystals in vitro. The identification of EGCG as dietary supplement capable of affording protection or modulating the inflammatory response to CPP crystals may have important implications in the prevention and treatment of OA and crystal-related arthropathies.
  Frontiers in pharmacology. 01/2013; 4:51.
• Article: Prevalence of calcium pyrophosphate and monosodium urate crystals in synovial fluid of patients with previously diagnosed joint diseases.

  Francesca Oliviero, Anna Scanu, Paola Galozzi, Alessandra Gava, Paola Frallonardo, Roberta Ramonda, Leonardo Punzi
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  ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE: The main aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of monosodium urate (MSU) and calcium pyrophosphate (CPP) crystals in synovial fluid (SF) obtained from patients with previously diagnosed joint diseases. METHODS: We reviewed the results of SF analysis of 5020 samples identifying those collected from patients with a previously definite diagnosis (2370 samples). SF analysis results, age, sex, diagnosis and disease duration were recorded from computerized records of patients' archives. RESULTS: The prevalence of CPP crystals in SF was 22.28% in osteoarthritis (OA), 8.28% in rheumatoid arthritis (RA), 3.82% in psoriatic arthritis (PsA), 2.79% in other spondyloarthropathies (SpA), 10% in septic arthritis (SeA), 0.66% in gout and 9.18% in the miscellanea of joint diseases, respectively. The prevalence of MSU crystals in SF was 0.30% in RA, 3.34% in PsA, 0.70% in other SpA, 0.80% in acute CPP crystal arthritis (CPP-CA), 0% in OA, reactive arthritis (ReA), SeA, juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) and miscellanea. In OA group, we observed that age and SF inflammatory indices were higher in SF positive to CPP crystals with respect to those without crystals (P<0.0001). In RA, we found that the group of patients with CPP crystals was significantly older (P=0.001) and had a SF less inflammatory (P=0.022) with respect to that without crystals but with a higher disease duration than those without crystals. CONCLUSION: Crystals can be detected more frequently than expected in SF from joint diseases with a previous established diagnosis. This highlights the importance of SF analysis for the diagnosis of possible comorbidities linked to the presence of crystals.
  Joint, bone, spine: revue du rhumatisme 09/2012; · 2.25 Impact Factor
• Source

  Available from: Ugo Fiocco

  Article: Response to 'Plasma proteins present in osteoarthritic synovial fluid can stimulate cytokine production via Toll-like receptor 4'

  Francesca Oliviero, Anna Scanu, Jean-Michel Dayer, Ugo Fiocco, Paolo Sfriso, Leonardo Punzi
  Arthritis research & therapy 09/2012; 14(5):405. · 4.27 Impact Factor
• Article: Blockade of intra-articular TNF in peripheral spondyloarthritis: Its relevance to clinical scores, quantitative imaging and synovial fluid and synovial tissue biomarkers.

  Ugo Fiocco, Paolo Sfriso, Francesca Oliviero, Francesca Lunardi, Fiorella Calabrese, Elena Scagliori, Luisella Cozzi, Antonio Di Maggio, Roberto Nardacchione, Béatrice Molena, Mara Felicetti, Katia Gazzola, Roberto Stramare, Léopoldo Rubaltelli, Benedetta Accordi, Luisa Costa, Pascale Roux-Lombard, Leonardo Punzi, Jean-Michel Dayer
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  ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVES: This open-label study is based on a translational approach with the aim of detecting changes in the clinical condition as well as in imaging and synovial biological markers in both synovial fluid (SF) and synovial tissue (ST) in peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients following intra-articular (IA) blockade of TNF-α by serial etanercept injections. METHODS: Twenty-seven SpA patients with resistant knee synovitis underwent four biweekly IA injections of etanercept (E) (12.5mg). The primary outcome of Thompson's Knee Index (THOMP), and secondary outcomes of Knee Joint Articular Index (KJAI), C-reactive protein (CRP), HAQ-Disability Index (HAQ-DI), maximal synovial thickness (MST) according to ultrasonography (US) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (C+MR) imaging, ST-CD45+ mononuclear cells (MNC) and ST-CD31+ vessels, IL-1β, IL-1Ra and IL-6 levels in SF were assessed at baseline and at the end of the study. RESULTS: At the study end, clinical and imaging outcomes as well as ST and SF biological markers were significantly reduced compared to baseline. There were significant correlations between clinical, imaging and biological markers (CRP with either THOMP, or KJAI, or HAQ-DI or SF-IL-1Ra; US-MST with KJAI, ST-CD45+ with either THOMP, or KJAI, or ST-CD31+, or SF-IL-1β; SF-IL-6 with either THOMP, or KJAI, or SF-IL-1β, or IL-1Ra). CONCLUSIONS: The proof of concept study revealed early improvement either in local and systemic clinical scores, in synovial thickness measures by C+MR and US, or expression of synovial biological markers. CD45+, CD31+ in ST and IL-6 and IL-1β in SF may be considered potential biomarkers of the peripheral SpA response to IA TNF-α blocking.
  Joint, bone, spine: revue du rhumatisme 08/2012; · 2.25 Impact Factor
• Article: Gout as autoinflammatory disease: New mechanisms for more appropriated treatment targets.

  Leonardo Punzi, Anna Scanu, Roberta Ramonda, Francesca Oliviero
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  ABSTRACT: Gout is probably one of the oldest diseases affecting men. This is not surprising especially for the active role that innate immunity seems to play in its pathogenesis. It is fascinating to observe as this ancestral mechanism of defense feels that microcrystals are a danger, quite similar to infectious agents. New advances have revealed that at the base of the powerful inflammatory reaction stimulated by monosodium urate crystals there are many complexes cellular mechanisms, mainly involving inflammasome and toll-like receptors. Subsequently, there is an early increase of proinflammatory cytokines responsible for the acute attack, followed in few days by their reduction along with an increase of anti-inflammatory cytokines, probably main actors of the resolution phase. New targets have also been identified for the reduction of hyperuricemia, the prerequisite of gout, in order to prevent new attacks and the deposition of urate crystals in and around the joints. All these aspects, leading to deeper insight, have suggested new treatments, some of which are already available while others are likely to become available in the near future.
  Autoimmunity reviews 08/2012; 12(1):66-71. · 6.37 Impact Factor