Inflammatory chondrocytes

Chondrocytes responding to inflammatory cytokines (e.g., IL-1β, TNF-α) in diseased joints (e.g., osteoarthritis, RA). They upregulate the production of inflammatory mediators (NO, PGE2) and catabolic enzymes (MMPs, ADAMTS), creating a destructive feedback loop that degrades cartilage. This state represents a shift from homeostatic maintenance to a pathology-driving phenotype.