title: The distribution of YKL-40 in osteoarthritic and normal human articular cartilage.
abstract: YKL-40, also called human cartilage glycoprotein-39, is a major secretory protein of human chondrocytes in cell culture. YKL-40 mRNA is expressed by cartilage from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, but is not detectable in normal human cartilage. The aim was to investigate the distribution of YKL-40 in osteoarthritic (n=9) and macroscopically normal (n=5) human articular cartilage, collected from 12 pre-selected areas of the femoral head, to discover a potential role for YKL-40 in cartilage remodelling in osteoarthritis. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that YKL-40 staining was found in chondrocytes of osteoarthritic cartilage mainly in the superficial and middle zone of the cartilage rather than the deep zone. There was a tendency for high number of YKL-40 positive chondrocytes in areas of the femoral head with a considerable biomechanical load. The number of chondrocytes with a positive staining for YKL-40 was in general low in normal cartilage. The present findings, together with previous observations, suggests that YKL-40 may be of importance in cartilage remodelling/degradation of osteoarthritic joints.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, Hvidovre Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Volck
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ostergaard
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Johansen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Garbarsch
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Price
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D005260:Female; D005270:Femur Head / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D037102:Lectins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; C084533:CHI3L1 protein, human; D000071451:Chitinase-3-Like Protein 1; D006023:Glycoproteins; D037102:Lectins