Involvement of tumor necrosis factor alpha in steroid-associated osteonecrosis of the femoral head: friend or foe?

摘要

BackgroundThe etiology and pathology osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) are not completely clarified. As a cytokine participating in systemic inflammation, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of ONFH. However, the role of TNFα in ONFH is not clearly clarified. In the present study, we investigated the effects of TNFα on proliferation, angiogenesis, and osteogenic differentiation of rat bone mesenchymal stem cells (rMSCs) and the underlying mechanisms.