title: Accumulation of mitochondrial DNA with 4977-bp deletion in knee cartilage--an association with idiopathic osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Since mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations have been established to associate with the aging process and some degenerative diseases, we investigated the correlation between idiopathic osteoarthritis (OA) and the 4977-bp mtDNA deletion.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cartilage were collected from six sites in knee joints removed from 18 aged patients with idiopathic OA, 10 aged non-OA cadavers, 3 young cadavers (YC), and lateral femoral condyle of 9 young patients. Histopathologic changes were examined and the common 4977-bp mtDNA deletions were analyzed in young and elderly cartilages obtained from different sites in the knee joint. The association of the 4977-bp deletion of mtDNA with idiopathic OA and aging was evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 4977-bp mtDNA deletion was detected in 17 of the 18 OA patients, 9 of the 10 aged non-OA cadavers, and 1 of the 3 YC. None of the nine specimens collected from the lateral femoral condyle of young patients had a detectable deletion of mtDNA. The 4977-bp mtDNA deletion was not significantly correlated with the severity of OA graded by the Mankin score. The frequencies of occurrence of the 4977-bp mtDNA deletion were significantly different between the OA group and the aged non-OA control group (P=0.004) and between the aged non-OA group and the young control group (P=0.002).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that accumulation of the 4977-bp deletion of mtDNA in knee cartilage increases with age and may play a role in the development of idiopathic OA in the knee joint.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, and Department of Surgery, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan 112, Republic of China. mcchang@vghtpe.gov.tw
authors.forename: Ming-Chau
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shih-Chieh
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Winby York-Kwan
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Tzu-Ling
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Cheng-Feng
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hsin-Chen
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Kai-Li
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chung-Chih
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: Yau-Huei
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D002102:Cadaver; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D002850:Chromatography, Gel / Q000379:methods; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D005269:Femur / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology; D017353:Gene Deletion; D006801:Humans; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial