title: Expression profile analysis of mycotoxin-related genes in cartilage with endemic osteochondropathy Kashin-Beck Disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Kashin-Beck Disease (KBD) is an endemic osteochondropathy. Mycotoxins are believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of KBD. Because the molecular mechanism of mycotoxin-induced cartilage lesions remains unclear, there is not effective treatment for KBD now. To identify key genes involved in the mycotoxin-induced cartilage lesions, we compared the expression profiles of mycotoxin-related genes (MRG) between KBD cartilage and healthy cartilage.
  
  
  METHODS
  Total RNA was isolated from cartilage samples, following by being amplified, labeled and hybridized to Agilent human whole genome microarray chip. qRT-PCR was conducted to validate the microarray data. 1,167 MRG were derived from the environmentally related genomic database Toxicogenomics. The microarray data of MRG was subjected to single gene and gene ontology (GO) expression analysis for identifying differently expressed genes and GO.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We identified 7 up-regulated MRG and 2 down-regulated MRG in KBD cartilage, involved in collagen, apoptosis, metabolism and growth & development. GO expression analysis found that 4 apoptosis-related GO and 5 growth & development-related GO were significantly up-regulated in KBD cartilage.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Based on the results of previous and our studies, we suggest that mycotoxins might contribute to the development of KBD through dysfunction of MRG involved in collagen, apoptosis and growth & development in cartilage.
authors: Key Laboratory of Environment and Gene Related Diseases of Ministry Education, Faculty of Public Health, College of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, People's Republic of China, 710061.
authors: Feng
authors: F
authors: Zhang
authors: Xiong
authors: X
authors: Guo
authors: Weizhuo
authors: W
authors: Wang
authors: Shixun
authors: S
authors: Wu
authors: Weijuan
authors: W
authors: Ma
authors: Hua
authors: H
authors: Yan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology*; D003094:Collagen / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D055106:Genome-Wide Association Study; D048788:Growth and Development / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D057767:Kashin-Beck Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D046228:Microarray Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009183:Mycotoxins / Q000235:genetics*; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D009183:Mycotoxins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003094:Collagen