title: Human endogenous retrovirus W activity in cartilage of osteoarthritis patients.
abstract: The etiology of viruses in osteoarthritis remains controversial because the prevalence of viral nucleic acid sequences in peripheral blood or synovial fluid from osteoarthritis patients and that in healthy control subjects are similar. Until now the presence of virus has not been analyzed in cartilage. We screened cartilage and chondrocytes from advanced and non-/early osteoarthritis patients for parvovirus B19, herpes simplex virus-1, Epstein Barr virus, cytomegalovirus, human herpes virus-6, hepatitis C virus, and human endogenous retroviruses transcripts. Endogenous retroviruses transcripts, but none of the other viruses, were detected in 15 out the 17 patients. Sequencing identified the virus as HERV-WE1 and E2. HERV-W activity was confirmed by high expression levels of syncytin, dsRNA, virus budding, and the presence of virus-like particles in all advanced osteoarthritis cartilages examined. Low levels of HERV-WE1, but not E2 envelope RNA, were observed in 3 out of 8 non-/early osteoarthritis patients, while only 3 out of 7 chondrocytes cultures displayed low levels of syncytin, and just one was positive for virus-like particles. This study demonstrates for the first time activation of HERV-W in cartilage of osteoarthritis patients; however, a causative role for HERV-W in development or deterioration of the disease remains to be proven.
authors.affiliation: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University Hospital of North Norway, Sykehusveien 38, 9038 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Signy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bendiksen
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, MH-Building, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Inigo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Martinez-Zubiavrra
authors.affiliation: Genøk Centre of Biosafety, Science Park, Sykehusveien 23, 9294 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Conny
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-5530-4752
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tümmler
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital of North Norway, Sykehusveien 38, 3098 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Gunnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Knutsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University Hospital of North Norway, Sykehusveien 38, 3098 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Elvenes
authors.affiliation: Genøk Centre of Biosafety, Science Park, Sykehusveien 23, 9294 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, Sykehusveien 44, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Randi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Biology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Tromsø, MH-Building, 9037 Tromsø, Norway.
authors.forename: Ugo
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1931-5462
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Moens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002356:Cartilage / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D020077:Endogenous Retroviruses / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000472:pathogenicity; D005260:Female; D015686:Gene Products, env / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology*; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000821:virology
chemical_list: D015686:Gene Products, env; D011257:Pregnancy Proteins; D012330:RNA, Double-Stranded; C405335:syncytin