Synovial collagenase: Its presence in culture from joint disease of diverse etiology

Closed needle biopsy of synovium from inflamed joints yields enough tissue to detect production and/or release of collagenase from these tissues. Collagenase activity was found in synovium from 8 of 8 patients with probable rheumatoid arthritis, in 6 of 9 patients with nonrheumatoid inflammatory synovitis, and in 1 of 6 patients with degenerative joint disease. One of 2 patients with classic rheumatoid arthritis had activity in synovium regrown after synovectomy. Therefore synovial collagenase is not unique to rheumatoid arthritis.