Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0003864 (arthritis)
 69,039 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Human HtrA1 belongs to a widely conserved family of serine proteases involved in various aspects of protein quality control and cell fate. Although HtrA1 has been implicated in the pathology of several diseases, its precise biological functions remain to be established. Through identification of potential HtrA1 targets, studies presented herein propose that within the context of arthritis pathology HtrA1 contributes to cartilage degradation. Elevated synovial HtrA1 levels were detected in fluids obtained from rheumatoid and osteoarthritis patients, with synovial fibroblasts identified as a major source of secreted HtrA1. Mass spectrometry analysis of potential HtrA1 substrates within synovial fluids identified fibronectin as a candidate target, and treatment of fibronectin with recombinant HtrA1 led to the generation of fibronectin-degradation products that may be involved in cartilage catabolism. Consistently, treatment of synovial fibroblasts with HtrA1 or HtrA1-generated fibronectin fragments resulted in the specific induction of matrix metalloprotease 1 and matrix metalloprotease 3 expression, suggesting that HtrA1 contributes to the destruction of extracellular matrix through both direct and indirect mechanisms.
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PMID:The role of human HtrA1 in arthritic disease. 1637 21

The progressive destruction of articular cartilage is one of the hallmarks of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Cartilage degradation is attributed to different classes of catabolic factors, including proinflammatory cytokines, aggrecanases, matrix metalloproteinases, and nitric oxide. Recently, matrix degradation products generated by excessive proteolysis in arthritis have been found to mediate cartilage destruction. These proteolytic fragments activate chondrocytes and synovial fibroblasts via specific cell surface receptors that can stimulate catabolic intracellular signaling pathways, leading to the induction of such catalysts. This review describes the catabolic activities of matrix degradation products, especially fibronectin fragments, and discusses the pathologic implication in cartilage destruction in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Increased levels of these degradation products, found in diseased joints, may stimulate cartilage breakdown by mechanisms of the kind demonstrated in the review.
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PMID:Cartilage destruction by matrix degradation products. 1690 68

To investigate the strategy of using a multivalent polyprotein DNA vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus, a series of plasmids was used to immunize mice followed by infectious challenge. The plasmid vaccines expressed Clumping factor A (Clfa), fibronectin binding protein A (FnBPA) and the enzyme Sortase (Srt) as single proteins or combined as a polyprotein. All animals produced a mixed Th1 and Th2 response including functional antigen-specific, mostly IgG2a antibodies, sustained production of IFN-gamma and a predominantly CD8+ T-cell response. Upon challenge with a virulent S. aureus isolate (Sa042), after 21 days, 55% of the multi-gene vaccinated mice survived infection compared to only 15% of the control groups. Vaccinated mice showed no signs of arthritis when challenged with the less virulent "Newman" strain that caused reactive arthritis in the controls. The results suggest that a multi-gene polyprotein-expressing nucleic acid vaccine alone produces a combined Th1 and Th2 response that can contribute to protection against the complex pathogenesis of S. aureus.
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PMID:Protective immune responses to a multi-gene DNA vaccine against Staphylococcus aureus. 1702 24

Rapid, quantitative methods suited to a large number of samples are required for studies into the determination of disease etiology and in the evaluation of drugs and biological agents. This chapter describes an assay for anionic glycoconjugates (GCs), including glycosaminoglycans, which are major gene products of chondrocytes appearing in the extracellular matrix. The assay utilizes the electrostatic interaction between negatively charged sulfate and carboxyl groups of anionic GCs synthesized and secreted by chondrocytes with the cationic dye Alcian blue, immobilized to scintillant-coated 96-well plates. Metabolic labeling with D-[1, 6-3H (N)]-glucosamine allows all anionic GCs, including cartilage-specific and hyperglycosylated variants of fibronectin, to be quantitated. If Na235SO4 is used for the metabolic labeling instead, only glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans will be quantitated. The samples are counted using a multi-detector instrument for scintillation proximity assays, such as the Wallac 1450 Microbeta Trilux, designed for detection of samples in 96-well plates and, as such, can be a high-throughput system. The bound anionic GCs can be visualized by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis after quantitation by elution with denaturing buffers. The method can be modified to include predigestion of the sample with a specific lyase, e.g., chondroitinase ABC or testicular hyaluronidase. To separate polyanions from other digested material after ethanol precipitation, the sample can be assayed as described in this chapter for a particular subtype of anionic GC. This assay addresses the need for high-throughput applications in arthritis and other medical and biological problems.
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PMID:High-throughput quantitation of metabolically labeled anionic glycoconjugates by scintillation proximity assay utilizing binding to cationic dyes. 1707 16

Collagen, gelatin, elastin, fibronectin, proteoglycans and vitronectin are just a few proteins which form the "mesh" that holds a multicellular organism together. The matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of zinc-dependent endopeptidases that degrade the extracellular matrix. Over several decades it has been clearly established that MMPs are the key molecules associated with matrix remodeling. The remodeling of this matrix is important for physiological and pathological processes such as pregnancy, wound repair, cancer and arthritis. The identification of new non-matrix MMP substrates involved in inflammation, highlights the diverse role of MMPs. These enzymes can enhance leukocyte invasion and regulate the inflammatory activity of serine proteases, cytokines and chemokines. Interestingly, the MMP family appears to have a "dual personality" in that several MMPs such as MMP-2 and -9 can favour either anti- or pro-inflammatory action, respectively. The extent of this dual functionality of MMPs is yet to be realized. Elucidating these processes may assist in the development of drugs for the treatment of inflammatory diseases such as arthritis, cancer and chronic wounds.
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PMID:The dual personalities of matrix metalloproteinases in inflammation. 1712 95

Excessive release of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) during loading and/or injury of the cartilage matrix may contribute to the onset or progression of osteoarthritis. This pathological role may be related to the ability of bFGF to decrease proteoglycan synthesis and to antagonize the activity of anabolic growth factors in cartilage such as insulin-like growth factor-1 and bone morphogenetic protein 7 (BMP7 or OP-1). Matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13), a catabolic cartilage-degrading enzyme, is dramatically up-regulated by inflammatory cytokines or by fibronectin fragments in articular chondrocytes. In this study, we investigated MMP-13 production by bFGF using human articular chondrocytes. Endogenous concentration of bFGF in synovial fluids collected from arthritis patients and asymptomatic subjects showed a good linear correlation with the endogenous levels of MMP-13. bFGF stimulation of MMP-13 was mediated at the transcriptional level and, at least in part, by stimulation of interleukin-1 production. Also, our findings suggest that bFGF stimulation of MMP-13 required the activation of multiple MAPKs (ERK, p38, and JNK) by bFGF, and more importantly, bFGF activation of protein kinase C (PKC) delta played a key role in the MMP-13 stimulation. Indeed, PKCdelta is the only isoform associated with MMP-13 stimulation among the PKC isoforms tested. PKCdelta controls the bFGF response by regulating multiple MAPK pathways. Our results suggest that PKCdelta activation is a principal rate-limiting event in the bFGF-dependent stimulation of MMP-13 in human adult articular chondrocytes. We propose that deregulation of cross-talk between MAPK and PKCdelta signaling may contribute to the etiology of osteoarthritis in human patients.
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PMID:Basic fibroblast growth factor stimulates matrix metalloproteinase-13 via the molecular cross-talk between the mitogen-activated protein kinases and protein kinase Cdelta pathways in human adult articular chondrocytes. 1731 29

Interactions of cells with extracellular matrix (ECM) are mediated through specific cell surface receptors, belonging to the integrin family of transmembrane proteins. Integrins have been shown to be involved in chondrocyte-matrix interactions in the cartilage. In this study, the status of a matrix glycoprotein fibronectin (FN) and its receptor alpha5beta1 integrin in the articular cartilage in collagen type II-induced experimental arthritis in rats, as well as in synovial fluid from osteoarthritic patients was investigated. Experimental arthritis was induced by intradermal injection of type-II collagen (300 microg/100 g body wt) and Freund's complete adjuvant. Saline-treated animals served as control. Clinical severity was indicated by increase in paw volume. Significant increase in the activities of lysosomal enzymes beta-glucuronidase and beta-hexosaminidase was observed in synovial effusate, serum and cartilage of arthritic animals, when compared to untreated control, indicating dysfunction of cartilage. Changes in FN and alpha5beta1 integrin were studied by ELISA. A progressive increase was observed in the FN level in synovial effusate and cartilage of arthritic animals, when compared to untreated controls. FN levels were also significantly high in synovial fluid of osteoarthritic patients. A significant increase in the levels of alpha5beta1 integrin was found in cartilage of arthritic rats. Parallel changes in FN and alpha5beta1 integrin indicated that alterations in FN and alpha5beta1 integrin in chondrocytes constituted one of the molecular mechanisms during progression of arthritis.
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PMID:Parallel changes in fibronectin and alpha5beta1 integrin in articular cartilage in type II collagen-induced arthritis. 1738 35

Chondrogenesis is a process involving stem-cell differentiation through the coordinated effects of growth/differentiation factors and extracellular matrix (ECM) components. Recently, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were found within the cartilage, which constitutes a specific niche composed of ECM proteins with unique features. Therefore, we hypothesized that the induction of MSC differentiation towards chondrocytes might be induced and/or influenced by molecules from the microenvironment. Using microarray analysis, we previously identified genes that are regulated during MSC differentiation towards chondrocytes. In this study, we wanted to precisely assess the differential expression of genes associated with the microenvironment using a large-scale real-time PCR assay, according to the simultaneous detection of up to 384 mRNAs in one sample. Chondrogenesis of bone-marrow-derived human MSCs was induced by culture in micropellet for various periods of time. Total RNA was extracted and submitted to quantitative RT-PCR. We identified molecules already known to be involved in attachment and cell migration, including syndecans, glypicans, gelsolin, decorin, fibronectin, and type II, IX and XI collagens. Importantly, we detected the expression of molecules that were not previously associated with MSCs or chondrocytes, namely metalloproteases (MMP-7 and MMP-28), molecules of the connective tissue growth factor (CTGF); cef10/cyr61 and nov (CCN) family (CCN3 and CCN4), chemokines and their receptors chemokine CXC motif ligand (CXCL1), Fms-related tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (FlT3L), chemokine CC motif receptor (CCR3 and CCR4), molecules with A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase domain (ADAM8, ADAM9, ADAM19, ADAM23, A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase with thrombospondin type 1 motif ADAMTS-4 and ADAMTS-5), cadherins (4 and 13) and integrins (alpha4, alpha7 and beta5). Our data suggest that crosstalk between ECM components of the microenvironment and MSCs within the cartilage is responsible for the differentiation of MSCs into chondrocytes.
Arthritis Res Ther 2007
PMID:Microenvironmental changes during differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells towards chondrocytes. 1739 39

Arcanobacterium pyogenes, an opportunistic pathogen of economically important food animals, is the causative agent of liver abscesses in feedlot cattle, osteomyelitis in turkeys, and pneumonia and arthritis in pigs. Previous studies identified the first A. pyogenes adhesin, CbpA, a protein located on the bacterial surface which has the ability to bind collagen and promotes adhesion to the host cells. The protein has an N-terminal ligand-binding region (region A) and a C-terminal repetitive domain (region B). In this study we found that CbpA bound to almost all the collagen types tested but not to other proteins, and it displayed a propensity to interact with several collagenous peptides derived by CNBr cleavage of type I and II collagens. The K(D) values of CbpA for type I and II collagens and collagen peptides determined by solid-phase binding assay and intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence were in the range of 1-15 nM. It was also found that CbpA and its A region bound fibronectin, and that collagen and fibronectin interacted with distinct subsites. Anti-CbpA antibodies were effective at inhibiting both binding of isolated CbpA and bacterial adhesion to immobilized collagen, suggesting that CbpA is a functional collagen-binding adhesin. Analysis of the immunological cross-reactivity of CbpA with antibodies against other bacterial collagen-binding proteins indicated that CbpA is immunologically related to ACE from Enterococcus faecalis but not to CNA from Staphylococcus aureus or Acm from Enterococcus faecium. Far-UV and near-UV circular dichroism spectra showed that full-length CbpA and its region A are mainly composed of beta-sheet with only a minor alpha-helical component and that both the proteins have a well-defined tertiary structure.
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PMID:Functional and structural properties of CbpA, a collagen-binding protein from Arcanobacterium pyogenes. 1790 37

The purpose of this article is to present the current state of knowledge regarding the structure and functions of articular cartilage. Articular cartilage is constructed with hyaline cartilage tissue. It is composed of chondrocytes located in lacunae and the extracellular matrix. The chondrial matrix contains water, collagen, proteglycans, non-collagenous matrix proteins, and lipids. Articular cartilage is devided into four zones - superficial, intermediate, deep, and calcified - on the basic of morphology, the orientation of collagen fiber, and the proteoglycan content. The dominant collagen of this tissue is Type II collagen, which, together with smaller quantities of other collagens (i.e. Types IX and XII), forms a network of fibers, with large, aggregating proteoglycans and smaller, non-aggregating proteoglycans. Proteoglycans are proteins that contain covalently attached glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), with water between them. The large aggregating proteoglycans, called "aggrecans", form aggregates that bind hyaluronic acid, and together with collagen they are responsible for the mechanical properties of cartilage. The smallnonaggregating proteoglycans, decorin and fibromodulin, limit the formation of collagen fibres. Other proteins in the cartilage matrix - chondrocalcin and the N-propetide of Type II collagen - participate in fiber formation. Yet other proteins - chondronectin, fibronectin, vitronectin and thrombospondin - take part in the interaction between the chondrocytes and the matrix. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) prevents the vascularization of the cartilage and, perhaps, is responsible for the repair process. The proteins known as Cart-1 and CEP-68 participate in chondrogenesis, while tenascin and Mgp are considered to be cartilage calcification inhibitors. Apart from the structural elements, chondrocytes produce substances that fulfill purely physiological functions: enzymes and cytokines. The enzymes - which include metalloproteinases, adamalysins, serine and cysteine proteases and their inhibitors - participate in cartilage matrix reconstruction. The cytokines - IL-1, TNF-alfa, IL-6, IL-8, and LIF - stimulate the chondrocytes to produce an increased amount of enzymes, while IL-4 inhibits this process. Human articular chondrocytes exibit the constitutive expression of class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), molecules regulating the activation of the complement, and after activation (e.g. under the influence of IFN-alfa, IL-1, TNF-a or in the course of arthritis), also MHC class II and ICAM-1 intracellular adhesion molecules. Numerous studies have shown that chondrocytes also have tissue-specific antigens, which induce the production of antibodies in patients with cartilage grafts, as well as those with rheumatoid arthritis and osteoarthritis. Some of these antibodies react with type II collagen, others are directed against other proteins i.e. anchorin CII and CH65. the role of these diverse molecules, which are present in cartilage cells and separated from the immune system by the matrix, remains unclear.
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PMID:The morphology and selected biological properties of articular cartilage. 1798 77


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