Candida albicans induces cyclo-oxygenase 2 expression and prostaglandin E2 production in synovial fibroblasts through an extracellular-regulated kinase 1/2 dependent pathway.

Introduction: Synovial cells are potential sources of inflammatory mediators in bacterial-induced arthritis but their involvement in the inflammatory response to Candida albicans-induced septic arthritis is largely unknown.

Methods: Primary cultures of rat synovial fibroblasts were infected with C. albicans (ATCC90028).