The Fibrocyte's Role in NSF

Richard H. Gomer ¹

In fibrotic lesions such as those associated with NSF, some monocytes enter the tissue and differentiate into fibroblast-like cells called fibrocytes. The plasma protein Serum Amyloid P (SAP) inhibits fibrocyte differentiation, and SAP injections can inhibit fibrosis in animal models. The exposure of some renallyinsufficient patients to gadolinium-containing MRI contrast agents such as Omniscan has been associated with the development of NSF. We found that in cell culture, Omniscan inhibits the ability of SAP to inhibit the differentiation of human monocytes into fibrocytes, suggesting a possible mechanism of how a MRI contrast agent can be associated with a disease.