title: Expression of CD44 in articular cartilage is associated with disease severity in knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate CD44 levels in articular cartilage of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and the relationship between CD44 and severity of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  All 50 cartilage tissues included normal and OA cartilage, and were ascribed to the following four groups on the basis of modified Mankin score: normal, mild lesions, moderate lesions and severe lesions. CD44 levels in articular cartilage were assessed by immunohistochemical methods.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CD44 levels were detected in all four groups. The difference in average gray value of CD44 expression showed statistical significance when compared between each group (P < 0.05). In addition, CD44 expression in each group correlated with disease severity, according to the modified Mankin score (ρ = -0.848, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CD44 in articular cartilage is associated with progressive knee OA joint damage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, #87 Xiangya Road, 410008, Changsha, Hunan, China.
authors.forename: Fang-Jie
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Shu-Guang
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Da-Zhi
authors.initials: DZ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Yu-Sheng
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Guang-Hua
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Lei
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors