In the present study, we found that IL-1β, a key inflammatory cytokine during arthritis, induces the expression of the angiogenic factor FGF-2 in chondrocytes, and subsequently promotes EPC migration and tube formation through the activation of the IL-1RI/ROS/AMPK/p38/NF-κB signalling pathway. This evidence concerns the gene PRKAA2 and arthritic joint disease.