Low prevalence of knee chondrocalcinosis and its catabolic association with serum matrix metalloproteinase 3: A rural Japanese population study.
OBJECTIVE
This study aimed to elucidate the prevalence of radiographic knee chondrocalcinosis (CC) and to clarify whether CC is correlated with self-reported knee symptoms and a serum catabolic biomarker.


METHODS
A total of 1278 volunteers participated. Plain radiographs of both knees were obtained. Identification of a linear calcification in the knee joint space was defined as CC. Patients with a Kellgren-Lawrence grade of 2 or more were considered to have knee osteoarthritis (OA). Symptoms were evaluated using the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) Pain scale, and serum matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) concentration was determined. Multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine whether CC was correlated with OA, the KOOS Pain scale and MMP-3 concentration.


RESULTS
Twenty-eight subjects were found to have CC (2.2%), and 389 had OA (30.4%). CC was correlated with OA (odds ratio: 5.797; P = 0.006). Additionally, CC was correlated with MMP-3 concentration (B = 11.415, β = 0.059, P = 0.014), but not with KOOS Pain scale.


CONCLUSIONS
The prevalence of CC was low in the Japanese population evaluated in this study. While CC was not correlated with self-reported knee symptoms, it was positively correlated with serum MMP-3 concentration.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
Daisuke
D
Chiba
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
Eiichi
E
Tsuda
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
Eiji
E
Sasaki
Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
Ippei
I
Takahashi
Department of Social Medicine, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
Shigeyuki
S
Nakaji
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine, Hirosaki, Aomori, Japan.
Yasuyuki
Y
Ishibashi
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002805:Chondrocalcinosis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology*; D008297:Male; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010147:Pain Measurement; D015995:Prevalence; D012423:Rural Health; D057566:Self Report
D015415:Biomarkers; C511768:MMP3 protein, human; D019278:Matrix Metalloproteinase 3
epidemiology; knee chondrocalcinosis; knee osteoarthritis; matrix metalloproteinase-3; symptom