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Collagen IX in weight-bearing areas of human articular cartilage in late stages of osteoarthritis

Archives of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery volume 128, pages 1453–1459 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Aim

To determine if the amounts of collagen IX mRNA and protein are higher in osteoarthritic cartilage from weight-bearing areas of the knee joint compared to non-weight bearing areas in patients with stage IV osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods

Normal and OA cartilage samples were obtained from 15 patients undergoing total knee replacement or necropsies. mRNA was measured by real time RT-PCR and proteins were detected by Western blot and localized at the light and ultrastructural level.

Results

Collagen IX was found throughout all cartilage layers in healthy and OA tissue. Cells deposited collagen IX in the pericellular and interterritorial matrix and a 66% higher amount of collagen IX was detected in the pericellular matrix of the weight-bearing areas adjacent to the main defect in comparison to the macroscopically intact areas. This is in line with a 3.72 times higher amount of the respective mRNA.

Conclusion

The increased levels of collagen IX protein and its mRNAs found in the weight-bearing areas adjacent to the main cartilage defect might reflect an attempt on the part of the diseased cartilage tissue to stabilize and protect the remaining matrix of late-stage osteoarthritic cartilage from further destruction.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the Hydridoma Bank, University of Iowa. Parts of this work were taken from the doctoral theses of Wolfgang Martin. This work was supported by a grant to W. Schultz from the Deutsche Arthrose Stiftung.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Prosthodontics, Work Group Tissue Regeneration, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany

    Sebastian Koelling, Jenny Kruegel & Nicolai Miosge

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Research Unit, Robert-Koch-Strasse 40, 37075, Göttingen, Germany

    Michael Klinger & Wolfgang Schultz

Authors
  1. Sebastian Koelling
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  2. Jenny Kruegel
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  3. Michael Klinger
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  4. Wolfgang Schultz
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  5. Nicolai Miosge
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Correspondence to Nicolai Miosge.

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Koelling, S., Kruegel, J., Klinger, M. et al. Collagen IX in weight-bearing areas of human articular cartilage in late stages of osteoarthritis. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 128, 1453–1459 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-008-0611-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00402-008-0611-0

Keywords

  • Osteoarthritis
  • Regeneration
  • Weight-bearing area
  • Collagen IX