Expression of CD44 in articular cartilage is associated with disease severity in knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Objectives To investigate CD44 levels in articular cartilage of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and the relationship between CD44 and severity of the disease.

Methods All 50 cartilage tissues included normal and OA cartilage, and were ascribed to the following four groups on the basis of modified Mankin score: normal, mild lesions, moderate lesions and severe lesions. CD44 levels in articular cartilage were assessed by immunohistochemical methods.

Results CD44 levels were detected in all four groups. The difference in average gray value of CD44 expression showed statistical significance when compared between each group (P < 0.05). In addition, CD44 expression in each group correlated with disease severity, according to the modified Mankin score (ρ = −0.848, P < 0.01).

Conclusions CD44 in articular cartilage is associated with progressive knee OA joint damage.

Keywords::

• Articular cartilage
• CD44
• Osteoarthritis

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81272034 and No. 81201420), the Provincial Science Foundation of Hunan (No. 09JJ3048), and the Freedom Explore Program of Central South University (No. 2012QNZT095 and No. 2012QNZT103), the Young Teacher’s Boosting Project of the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities in Central South University, the Hunan Provincial Innovation Foundation For Postgraduate (CX2012B086), and the National Clinical Key Department Construction Projects of China.

Conflict of interest

None.