Human Endogenous Retrovirus W Activity in Cartilage of Osteoarthritis Patients
Figure 4
Presence of dsRNA and syncytin-1 in chondrocyte cultures obtained from OA and non- or early OA patients. Immunofluorescence assay with specific antibodies against dsRNA and syncytin was used. (a) Top row: chondrocytes from OA patients were examined for the presence of viral dsRNA by immunofluorescence using antibodies that specifically react with viral dsRNA. Middle row shows the expression of syncytin-1 in chondrocytes of the same OA patients. Bottom row: DAPI staining shows strong nuclear staining and weak cytoplasmic staining for nucleic acids. (b) Chondrocyte cultures from non-/early OA patients were monitored for the presence of dsRNA (top panel). Notice weak staining for dsRNA in chondrocytes from patient 3. Bottom row: DAPI staining.
