Localisation ofxanthine oxidase tosynovial endothelium

C R Stevens, MBenboubetra, R Harrison, T Sahinoglu, E C Smith, DR BlakeAbstractThepresenceofthexanthineoxidaseenzymesystemhasbeendemonstratedintherheuma-toid synovium. This supplies a reactiveoxygenspeciesgeneratingsystemtosynoviumthat is subjected to hypoxic-reperfusioncycles(cfinflamedrheumatoidsynovium).Anantibodyto bovine milk xanthine oxidase hasbeenusedtolocalise the enzymebyimmuno-histochemistry to synovial endothelium. Thisimplicates the endothelial cell as playing amajor part in exacerbations of synovitis,induced byradicals.