title: Human osteoarthritic knee cartilage: fingerprinting of adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins in vitro and in situ indicates differential upregulation in severe degeneration.
abstract: The apparent connection of galectin-3 to chondrocyte survival and osteoarthritis-like cartilage modifications in animal models provided incentive for the mapping of seven members of this family of adhesion/growth-regulatory proteins in human cartilage specimens. Starting with work in vitro, RT-qPCR analyses and immunocytochemistry revealed gene transcription and protein presence in cultured OA chondrocytes, especially for galectin-1, galectin-3 and galectin-8. Immunohistochemistry in clinical specimens with mild and severe cartilage degeneration detected galectins in chondrocytes-with upregulation, especially of galectin-1 in areas of severe degeneration-accompanied by α2,6-sialylation in the pericellular matrix. Given the possibility for additive/antagonistic activities between galectins, these results direct further research toward examining cellular effects of (1) these proteins (alone or in combination) on chondrocytes and (2) remodeling of the chondrocyte glycophenotype.
authors: Karl Chiari Lab for Orthopaedic Biology, Department of Orthopaedics, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, stefan.toegel@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Toegel
authors: Daniela
authors: D
authors: Bieder
authors: Sabine
authors: S
authors: André
authors: Klaus
authors: K
authors: Kayser
authors: Sonja M
authors: SM
authors: Walzer
authors: Gerhard
authors: G
authors: Hobusch
authors: Reinhard
authors: R
authors: Windhager
authors: Hans-Joachim
authors: HJ
authors: Gabius
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D037161:Galectins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D037161:Galectins