Abstract: Objective To characterize the proteomic profiles of joint synovial tissue in normal rats and rats with rheumatoid
arthritis (RA) and identify the proteins related with the occurrence of RA to explore the pathogenesis of RA. Methods SD rat
models of RA were established using Mtb (heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Ra). Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis
proteomics technology was employed to analyze the difference in synovial tissue protein profiles between RA model rats and
normal rats, and two of the differentially expressed proteins were verified with Western blotting and fluorescence quantitative
PCR. Results Comparison of the two-dimensional gel electrophoresis patterns from the model rats and normal rats showed 4
up-regulated and 4 down-regulated proteins by 2 folds in the RA model rats. Western blotting and fluorescent quantitative
PCR of 2 of the 8 proteins yielded consistent results with those by proteomics analysis. Conclusion Arthritis synovial lesions in
RA represent very complex pathological processes involving a variety of proteins, and these differentially expressed proteins
may contribute to the progression of RA.