Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Moderate loading of the human osteoarthritic knee joint leads to lowering of intraarticular cartilage oligomeric matrix protein

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Rheumatology International Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The non-pharmacological treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) includes exercise therapy; however, little is known about the specific effect of exercise on the joint per se. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the direct effects of a load-bearing exercise upon cartilage in a single, human osteoarthritic joint determined by biochemical markers of cartilage turnover and inflammation in the synovial fluid (SF), serum and urine. Eleven subjects with OA of the knee(s), but with no other joint- or inflammatory disorders, volunteered for the study and had samples of blood, urine and synovial fluid drawn both at baseline and following 30-min one-legged knee-extension exercise. Workload: 60% of 1 RM (Repetition Maximum). Determination of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), aggrecan, C-terminal collagen II peptide (CTX-II) and interleukin (IL)-6 were performed in synovial fluid (SF), serum and urine. A significant decrease was found in SF concentration of COMP following exercise, whereas aggrecan, CTX-II and IL-6 remained unchanged. No differences in any of the tested markers were found in serum and urine between baseline and post-exercise. Thirty minutes of mechanical loading of a single knee joint in human subjects with knee OA resulted in a reduced COMP concentration in SF.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Picture 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Dillon CF, Rasch EK, Gu Q, Hirsch R (2006) Prevalence of knee osteoarthritis in the United States: arthritis data from the third national health and nutrition examination survey 1991–94. J Rheumatol 33:2271–2279

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Borjesson M, Robertson E, Weidenhielm L, Mattsson E, Olsson E (1996) Physiotherapy in knee osteoarthrosis: effect on pain and walking. Physiother Res Int 1:89–97

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Petrella RJ (2000) Is exercise effective treatment for osteoarthritis of the knee? Br J Sports Med 34:326–331

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. van Baar ME, Dekker J, Oostendorp RA, Bijl D, Voorn TB, Lemmens JA, Bijlsma JW (1998) The effectiveness of exercise therapy in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee: a randomized clinical trial. J Rheumatol 25:2432–2439

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ettinger WH Jr, Burns R, Messier SP, Applegate W, Rejeski WJ, Morgan T, Shumaker S, Berry MJ, O’Toole M, Monu J, Craven T (1997) A randomized trial comparing aerobic exercise and resistance exercise with a health education program in older adults with knee osteoarthritis. The fitness arthritis and seniors trial (FAST). JAMA 277:25–31

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Hassan BS, Mockett S, Doherty M (2001) Static postural sway, proprioception, and maximal voluntary quadriceps contraction in patients with knee osteoarthritis and normal control subjects. Ann Rheum Dis 60:612–618

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Koralewicz LM, Engh GA (2000) Comparison of proprioception in arthritic and age-matched normal knees. J Bone Joint Surg Am 82-A:1582–1588

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Mundermann A, King KB, Smith RL, Andriacchi TP (2009) Change in serum COMP concentration due to ambulatory load is not related to knee OA status. J Orthop Res 27:1408–1413

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Appleton CT, McErlain DD, Pitelka V, Schwartz N, Bernier SM, Henry JL, Holdsworth DW, Beier F (2007) Forced mobilization accelerates pathogenesis: characterization of a preclinical surgical model of osteoarthritis. Arthritis Res Ther 9:R13

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. O’Kane JW, Hutchinson E, Atley LM, Eyre DR (2006) Sport-related differences in biomarkers of bone resorption and cartilage degradation in endurance athletes. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 14:71–76

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Roos H, Dahlberg L, Hoerrner LA, Lark MW, Thonar EJ, Shinmei M, Lindqvist U, Lohmander LS (1995) Markers of cartilage matrix metabolism in human joint fluid and serum: the effect of exercise. Osteoarthr Cartil 3:7–14

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Smith MD, Triantafillou S, Parker A, Youssef PP, Coleman M (1997) Synovial membrane inflammation and cytokine production in patients with early osteoarthritis. J Rheumatol 24:365–371

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Spector TD, Hart DJ, Nandra D, Doyle DV, Mackillop N, Gallimore JR, Pepys MB (1997) Low-level increases in serum C-reactive protein are present in early osteoarthritis of the knee and predict progressive disease. Arthr Rheum 40:723–727

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Steensberg A, Keller C, Starkie RL, Osada T, Febbraio MA, Pedersen BK (2002) IL-6 and TNF-alpha expression in, and release from, contracting human skeletal muscle. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab 283:E1272–E1278

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Langberg H, Olesen JL, Gemmer C, Kjaer M (2002) Substantial elevation of interleukin-6 concentration in peritendinous tissue, in contrast to muscle, following prolonged exercise in humans. J Physiol 542:985–990

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Lohmander LS, Saxne T, Heinegard DK (1994) Release of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) into joint fluid after knee injury and in osteoarthritis. Ann Rheum Dis 53:8–13

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Momohara S, Okada N, Ikari K, Mizuno S, Okamoto H (2007) Dermatan sulfate in the synovial fluid of patients with knee osteoarthritis. Mod Rheumatol 17:301–305

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mundermann A, Dyrby CO, Andriacchi TP, King KB (2005) Serum concentration of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) is sensitive to physiological cyclic loading in healthy adults. Osteoarthr Cartil 13:34–38

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Neidhart M, Muller-Ladner U, Frey W, Bosserhoff AK, Colombani PC, Frey-Rindova P, Hummel KM, Gay RE, Hauselmann H, Gay S (2000) Increased serum levels of non-collagenous matrix proteins (cartilage oligomeric matrix protein and melanoma inhibitory activity) in marathon runners. Osteoarthr Cartil 8:222–229

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Simkin PA (2006) Fluid dynamics of the joint space and trafficking of matrix molecules. In: Seibel Markus, Robins Simon, Bilezikian John (eds) Dynamics of bone and cartilage metabolism. Academic Press, New York, pp 451–456

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  21. Andersson ML, Thorstensson CA, Roos EM, Petersson IF, Heinegard D, Saxne T (2006) Serum levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) increase temporarily after physical exercise in patients with knee osteoarthritis. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 7:98

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Petersen SG, Saxne T, Heinegard D, Hansen M, Holm L, Koskinen S, Stordal C, Christensen H, Aagaard P, Kjaer M (2010) Glucosamine but not ibuprofen alters cartilage turnover in osteoarthritis patients in response to physical training. Osteoarthr Cartil 18(1):34–40

    Google Scholar 

  23. Elsaid KA, Fleming BC, Oksendahl HL, Machan JT, Fadale PD, Hulstyn MJ, Shalvoy R, Jay GD (2008) Decreased lubricin concentrations and markers of joint inflammation in the synovial fluid of patients with anterior cruciate ligament injury. Arthr Rheum 58:1707–1715

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Doss F, Menard J, Hauschild M, Kreutzer HJ, Mittlmeier T, Muller-Steinhardt M, Muller B (2007) Elevated IL-6 levels in the synovial fluid of osteoarthritis patients stem from plasma cells. Scand J Rheumatol 36:136–139

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Bianchi M, Broggini M, Balzarini P, Baratelli E, Ferrario P, Panerai AE, Sacerdote P (2003) Effects of tramadol on synovial fluid concentrations of substance P and interleukin-6 in patients with knee osteoarthritis: comparison with paracetamol. Int Immunopharmacol 3:1901–1908

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This article is funded by Danish Rheumatism Association, Danish Ministry of Health, Internal Affairs, Danish National Research Council and Danish Medical Research Council.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Bispebjerg Hospital and Center for Healthy Aging, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Bispebjerg Bakke 23, 2400, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Ida C. Helmark, Marie C. H. Petersen, Michael Kjaer & Henning Langberg

  2. Department of Radiology, Bispebjerg Hospital, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Helle E. Christensen

Authors
  1. Ida C. Helmark
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Marie C. H. Petersen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Helle E. Christensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Michael Kjaer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Henning Langberg
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ida C. Helmark.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Helmark, I.C., Petersen, M.C.H., Christensen, H.E. et al. Moderate loading of the human osteoarthritic knee joint leads to lowering of intraarticular cartilage oligomeric matrix protein. Rheumatol Int 32, 1009–1014 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-010-1716-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00296-010-1716-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation