title: The role of MCP-1-CCR2 ligand-receptor axis in chondrocyte degradation and disease progress in knee osteoarthritis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common arthritic disease and multifactorial whole-joint disease. Interactions of chemokines and OA is inadequately documented.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In vivo and in vitro studies were conducted to investigate monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and receptor chemokine (C-C motif) receptor 2 (CCR2) in chondrocyte degradation and cartilage degeneration. Chondrocytes from 16 OA patients and 6 normal controls were involved in this study. After stimulation of MCP-1, the expression of MCP-1 and CCR2 increased significantly (P < 0.001) and the expression of MMP-13 also increased (P < 0.05). MCP-1 stimulation also induced (or enhanced) the apoptosis of OA chondrocytes (P < 0.05). Additionally, the degradation of cartilage matrix markers (metalloproteinase 3 and 13, MMP3 and MMP13) in the culture medium of normal chondrocytes was also assessed. Furthermore, intra-articular injection of MCP-1 in mouse knees induced cartilage degradation and the CCR2 antagonist did not impede cartilage destroy in rats knees of monosodium iodoacetate (MIA) model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study demonstrate that the MCP-1-CCR2 ligand-receptor axis plays a special role in the initiation and progression of OA pathology. Patients with ambiguous etiology can gain some insight from the MCP-1-CCR2 ligand-receptor axis.
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Clinic and Research Center, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11, Xizhimen South Street Xicheng District, Beijing, China. yuankun_xu@bjmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Yuan-kun
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Clinic and Research Center, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11, Xizhimen South Street Xicheng District, Beijing, China. kkeyyan@163.com.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Clinic and Research Center, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11, Xizhimen South Street Xicheng District, Beijing, China. wangbin_pku@163.com.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Arthritis Clinic and Research Center, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11, Xizhimen South Street Xicheng District, Beijing, China. Jianhao_lin2015@163.com.
authors.forename: Jian-hao
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D018932:Chemokine CCL2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D019807:Iodoacetic Acid; D008297:Male; D064235:Matrilin Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13 / Q000378:metabolism; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D054390:Receptors, CCR2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013583:Synovial Membrane / Q000166:cytology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018932:Chemokine CCL2; D064235:Matrilin Proteins; D054390:Receptors, CCR2; D053509:Matrix Metalloproteinase 13; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3; D019807:Iodoacetic Acid