Association between adiponectin and cartilage degradation in human osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
Conflicting findings raise questions about the role of adiponectin in osteoarthritis (OA). The current study aimed to investigate in OA patients the association between the production of adiponectin and the grade of cartilage destruction, and to provide functional evidence for a potential role of adiponectin in OA.


METHODS
The expression of adiponectin was examined by immunohistochemistry in cartilage obtained from healthy individuals (n = 2; ages 56 and 41 years; 1 male and 1 female) and OA patients (n = 11; ages 64-79 years; 2 male and 9 female). The association between its production in chondrocytes and the grade of cartilage destruction was established on full-depth cartilage biopsies. The functional activity of adiponectin in OA cartilage was determined from the relation between the expression of adiponectin, its receptor, cartilage-specific components and factors involved in matrix degradation, and from the chondrocyte response to the full-length or the globular form of adiponectin.


RESULTS
Adiponectin was not detected in healthy cartilage. Conversely, the adipokine was up-regulated in damaged tissue, but no strong association with the grade of cartilage destruction was found. We showed a positive correlation between adiponectin and mPGES or MMP-13 while AdipoR1 was related to the expression of type 2 collagen, aggrecan and Sox9. The full-length form of adiponectin but not the globular isoform, stimulated the production of PGE2 and MMP-13 activity in cultured human chondrocytes.


CONCLUSIONS
The elevated level of adiponectin found in chondrocytes from OA patients might contribute to matrix remodelling during OA, the full-length isoform being the single active form.
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: pij.francin@hotmail.fr.
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Francin
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: anne.abot@inserm.fr.
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Abot
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: cecile.guillaume@univ-lorraine.fr.
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Guillaume
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: david.moulin@univ-lorraine.fr.
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Moulin
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: arnaud.bianchi@univ-lorraine.fr.
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Bianchi
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: pascale.pottie@univ-lorraine.fr.
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Gegout-Pottie
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: jean-yves.jouzeau@univ-lorraine.fr.
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Jouzeau
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: didier.mainard@univ-lorraine.fr.
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Mainard
UMR 7365 CNRS-Universite de Lorraine, Biopôle de l'Universite de Lorraine, campus Biologie-Sante, Avenue de la forêt de Haye, BP 184, 54505 Vandoeuvre-les-Nancy, France. Electronic address: nathalie.presle@univ-lorraine.fr.
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Presle
D052242:Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D015232:Dinoprostone / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000378:metabolism*; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin / Q000378:metabolism
C475418:ADIPOR1 protein, human; D052242:Adiponectin; D054419:Receptors, Adiponectin; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13; D015232:Dinoprostone
Adipokines; Cartilage; Obesity; Osteoarthritis