Differential expressions of the lysyl oxidase family and matrix metalloproteinases-1, 2, 3 in posterior cruciate ligament fibroblasts after being co-cultured with synovial cells.

Purpose The adult human posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) has poor functional healing response. The synovial tissue, which surrounds the PCL ligament, might be the major regulator of the microenvironment in the joint cavity after PCL injury, thus affecting the healing process. Here we establish a novel co-culture system for PCL fibroblasts and synovial cells (SC) in vitro to explore the direct influence of paracrine on PCL cells by characterizing the different expressions of the lysyl oxidase family (LOXs) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, 2, 3), which respectively facilitate extracellular matrix (ECM) repair and degradation.