Interleukin-10 protects against blood-induced joint damage

Despite prophylactic treatment, haemophilia patients suffer from spontaneous joint bleeds, which lead to severe joint damage. Also after joint trauma, an intra-articular haemorrhage can add to joint damage over time. This study evaluated interleukin 10 (IL-10) in the search for possible interventions to prevent or limit the damaging effects of joint bleeds. Human articular cartilage tissue explants were cultured in the presence or absence of 50% v/v blood (or its cellular components) for 4 d (the expected blood load in vivo after a joint haemorrhage), followed by a recovery period of 12 d. Pharmacological dosages of IL-10 reached during treatment (1 or 10 ng/ml) were added. Additionally, cartilage and synovial tissue obtained from joints with end-stage haemophilic arthropathy (HA) were cultured in the presence of IL-10 (10 ng/ml). IL-10 protected cartilage from the damaging effects of blood exposure, measured by its effects on proteoglycan turnover. In addition, IL-10 beneficially influenced cartilage from patients with HA and reduced the production of the inflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and tumour necrosis factor-alpha by haemophilic synovial tissue. Taken together, although effects were obtained in vitro, IL-10 protects against blood-induced joint damage and might be further evaluated as candidate in treatment of tissue damaging effects of joint haemorrhages.