Production of cytokines around loosened cemented acetabular components. Analysis with immunohistochemical techniques and in situ hybridization

ABSTRACT: The chronic inflammatory response to wear particles from orthopaedic joint implants is be-lieved to cause osteolysis and to contribute to pros-thetic loosening. Previous in vitro experiments have demonstrated that particulate debris from joint im-plants causes cells in culture to release products that have been implicated in this pathological bone resorp-tion. The purpose of the current study was to investi-gate the in vivo features of this complex process in patients who had had a total hip replacement. Membranous tissue was obtained from the cement-bone interface of ten polyethylene acetabular compo-nents that had been revised for aseptic loosening in ten patients. The immunoperoxidase technique, which in-volves the use of specific antibodies for each cell type