Primary osteoarthritis chondrocyte map of chromatin conformation reveals novel candidate effector genes.

OBJECTIVES: Osteoarthritis is a complex disease with a huge public health burden. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified hundreds of osteoarthritis-associated sequence variants, but the effector genes underpinning these signals remain largely elusive. Understanding chromosome organisation in three-dimensional (3D) space is essential for identifying long-range contacts between distant genomic features (e.g., between genes and regulatory elements), in a tissue-specific manner. Here, we generate the first whole genome chromosome conformation analysis (Hi-C) map of primary osteoarthritis chondrocytes and identify novel candidate effector genes for the disease. METHODS: Primary chondrocytes collected from 8 patients with knee osteoarthritis underwent Hi-C analysis to link chromosomal structure to genomic sequence. The identified loops were then combined with osteoarthritis GWAS results and epigenomic data from primary knee osteoarthritis chondrocytes to identify variants involved in gene regulation via enhancer-promoter interactions. RESULTS: We identified 345 genetic variants residing within chromatin loop anchors that are associated with 77 osteoarthritis GWAS signals. Ten of these variants reside directly in enhancer regions of 10 newly described active enhancer-promoter loops, identified with multiomics analysis of publicly available chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) and assay for transposase-accessible chromatin using sequencing (ATAC-seq) data from primary knee chondrocyte cells, pointing to two new candidate effector genes SPRY4 and PAPPA (pregnancy-associated plasma protein A) as well as further support for the gene SLC44A2 known to be involved in osteoarthritis. For example, PAPPA is directly associated with the turnover of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) proteins, and IGF-1 is an important factor in the repair of damaged chondrocytes. CONCLUSIONS: We have constructed the first Hi-C map of primary human chondrocytes and have made it available as a resource for the scientific community. By integrating 3D genomics with large-scale genetic association and epigenetic data, we identify novel candidate effector genes for osteoarthritis, which enhance our understanding of disease and can serve as putative high-value novel drug targets.

Pathophysiology and Emerging Molecular Therapeutic Targets in Heterotopic Ossification.

The term heterotopic ossification (HO) describes bone formation in tissues where bone is normally not present. Musculoskeletal trauma induces signalling events that in turn trigger cells, probably of mesenchymal origin, to differentiate into bone. The aetiology of HO includes extremely rare but severe, generalised and fatal monogenic forms of the disease; and as a common complex disorder in response to musculoskeletal, neurological or burn trauma. The resulting bone forms through a combination of endochondral and intramembranous ossification, depending on the aetiology, initiating stimulus and affected tissue. Given the heterogeneity of the disease, many cell types and biological pathways have been studied in efforts to find effective therapeutic strategies for the disorder. Cells of mesenchymal, haematopoietic and neuroectodermal lineages have all been implicated in the pathogenesis of HO, and the emerging dominant signalling pathways are thought to occur through the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and retinoic acid receptor pathways. Increased understanding of these disease mechanisms has resulted in the emergence of several novel investigational therapeutic avenues, including palovarotene and other retinoic acid receptor agonists and activin A inhibitors that target both canonical and non-canonical signalling downstream of the BMP type 1 receptor. In this article we aim to illustrate the key cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of HO and outline recent advances in emerging molecular therapies to treat and prevent HO that have had early success in the monogenic disease and are currently being explored in the common complex forms of HO.

The Kinesin Gene KIF26B Modulates the Severity of Post-Traumatic Heterotopic Ossification.

The formation of pathological bone deposits within soft tissues, termed heterotopic ossification (HO), is common after trauma. However, the severity of HO formation varies substantially between individuals, from relatively isolated small bone islands through to extensive soft tissue replacement by bone giving rise to debilitating symptoms. The aim of this study was to identify novel candidate therapeutic molecular targets for severe HO. We conducted a genome-wide scan in men and women with HO of varying severity following hip replacement for osteoarthritis. HO severity was dichotomized as mild or severe, and association analysis was performed with adjustment for age and sex. We next confirmed expression of the gene encoded by the lead signal in human bone and in primary human mesenchymal stem cells. We then examined the effect of gene knockout in a murine model of osseous trans-differentiation, and finally we explored transcription factor phosphorylation in key pathways perturbed by the gene. Ten independent signals were suggestively associated with HO severity, with KIF26B as the lead. We subsequently confirmed KIF26B expression in human bone and upregulation upon BMP2-induced osteogenic differentiation in primary human mesenchymal stem cells, and also in a rat tendo-Achilles model of post-traumatic HO. CRISPR-Cas9 mediated knockout of Kif26b inhibited BMP2-induced Runx2, Sp7/Osterix, Col1A1, Alp, and Bglap/Osteocalcin expression and mineralized nodule formation in a murine myocyte model of osteogenic trans-differentiation. Finally, KIF26B deficiency inhibited ERK MAP kinase activation during osteogenesis, whilst augmenting p38 and SMAD 1/5/8 phosphorylation. Taken together, these data suggest a role for KIF26B in modulating the severity of post-traumatic HO and provide a potential novel avenue for therapeutic translation.

Obesity and revision surgery, mortality, and patient-reported outcomes after primary knee replacement surgery in the National Joint Registry: A UK cohort study.

BACKGROUND: One in 10 people in the United Kingdom will need a total knee replacement (TKR) during their lifetime. Access to this life-changing operation has recently been restricted based on body mass index (BMI) due to belief that high BMI may lead to poorer outcomes. We investigated the associations between BMI and revision surgery, mortality, and pain/function using what we believe to be the world's largest joint replacement registry. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We analysed 493,710 TKRs in the National Joint Registry (NJR) for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man from 2005 to 2016 to investigate 90-day mortality and 10-year cumulative revision. Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) and Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) databases were linked to the NJR to investigate change in Oxford Knee Score (OKS) 6 months postoperatively. After adjustment for age, sex, American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) grade, indication for operation, year of primary TKR, and fixation type, patients with high BMI were more likely to undergo revision surgery within 10 years compared to those with "normal" BMI (obese class II hazard ratio (HR) 1.21, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.32 (p < 0.001) and obese class III HR 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.26 (p = 0.026)). All BMI classes had revision estimates within the recognised 10-year benchmark of 5%. Overweight and obese class I patients had lower mortality than patients with "normal" BMI (HR 0.76, 95% CI: 0.65, 0.90 (p = 0.001) and HR 0.69, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.82 (p < 0.001)). All BMI categories saw absolute increases in OKS after 6 months (range 18-20 points). The relative improvement in OKS was lower in overweight and obese patients than those with "normal" BMI, but the difference was below the minimal detectable change (MDC; 4 points). The main limitations were missing BMI particularly in the early years of data collection and a potential selection bias effect of surgeons selecting the fitter patients with raised BMI for surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Given revision estimates in all BMI groups below the recognised threshold, no evidence of increased mortality, and difference in change in OKS below the MDC, this large national registry shows no evidence of poorer outcomes in patients with high BMI. This study does not support rationing of TKR based on increased BMI.

Linking chondrocyte and synovial transcriptional profile to clinical phenotype in osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: To determine how gene expression profiles in osteoarthritis joint tissues relate to patient phenotypes and whether molecular subtypes can be reproducibly captured by a molecular classification algorithm. METHODS: We analysed RNA sequencing data from cartilage and synovium in 113 osteoarthritis patients, applying unsupervised clustering and Multi-Omics Factor Analysis to characterise transcriptional profiles. We tested the association of the molecularly defined patient subgroups with clinical characteristics from electronic health records. RESULTS: We detected two patient subgroups in low-grade cartilage (showing no/minimal degeneration, cartilage normal/softening only), with differences associated with inflammation, extracellular matrix-related and cell adhesion pathways. The high-inflammation subgroup was associated with female sex (OR 4.12, p=0.0024) and prescription of proton pump inhibitors (OR 4.21, p=0.0040). We identified two independent patient subgroupings in osteoarthritis synovium: one related to inflammation and the other to extracellular matrix and cell adhesion processes. A seven-gene classifier including MMP13, APOD, MMP2, MMP1, CYTL1, IL6 and C15orf48 recapitulated the main axis of molecular heterogeneity in low-grade knee osteoarthritis cartilage (correlation ρ=-0.88, p<10-10) and was reproducible in an independent patient cohort (ρ=-0.85, p<10-10). CONCLUSIONS: These data support the reproducible stratification of osteoarthritis patients by molecular subtype and the exploration of new avenues for tailored treatments.

Genome-wide association of phenotypes based on clustering patterns of hand osteoarthritis identify WNT9A as novel osteoarthritis gene.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent advances in the understanding of the genetic architecture of osteoarthritis (OA), only two genetic loci have been identified for OA of the hand, in part explained by the complexity of the different hand joints and heterogeneity of OA pathology. METHODS: We used data from the Rotterdam Study (RSI, RSII and RSIII) to create three hand OA phenotypes based on clustering patterns of radiographic OA severity to increase power in our modest discovery genome-wide association studies in the RS (n=8700), and sought replication in an independent cohort, the Framingham Heart Study (n=1203). We used multiple approaches that leverage different levels of information and functional data to further investigate the underlying biological mechanisms and candidate genes for replicated loci. We also attempted to replicate known OA loci at other joint sites, including the hips and knees. RESULTS: We found two novel genome-wide significant loci for OA in the thumb joints. We identified WNT9A as a possible novel causal gene involved in OA pathogenesis. Furthermore, several previously identified genetic loci for OA seem to confer risk for OA across multiple joints: TGFa, RUNX2, COL27A1, ASTN2, IL11 and GDF5 loci. CONCLUSIONS: We identified a robust novel genetic locus for hand OA on chromosome 1, of which WNT9A is the most likely causal gene. In addition, multiple genetic loci were identified to be associated with OA across multiple joints. Our study confirms the potential for novel insight into the genetic architecture of OA by using biologically meaningful stratified phenotypes.

Pathways to understanding the genomic aetiology of osteoarthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a common, complex disease with no curative therapy. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on disease aetiopathogenesis and outline genetics and genomics approaches that are helping catalyse a much-needed improved understanding of the biological underpinning of disease development and progression.

A novel variant in GLIS3 is associated with osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a complex disease, but its genetic aetiology remains poorly characterised. To identify novel susceptibility loci for OA, we carried out a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in individuals from the largest UK-based OA collections to date. METHODS: We carried out a discovery GWAS in 5414 OA individuals with knee and/or hip total joint replacement (TJR) and 9939 population-based controls. We followed-up prioritised variants in OA subjects from the interim release of the UK Biobank resource (up to 12 658 cases and 50 898 controls) and our lead finding in operated OA subjects from the full release of UK Biobank (17 894 cases and 89 470 controls). We investigated its functional implications in methylation, gene expression and proteomics data in primary chondrocytes from 12 pairs of intact and degraded cartilage samples from patients undergoing TJR. RESULTS: We detect a genome-wide significant association at rs10116772 with TJR (P=3.7×10-8; for allele A: OR (95% CI) 0.97 (0.96 to 0.98)), an intronic variant in GLIS3, which is expressed in cartilage. Variants in strong correlation with rs10116772 have been associated with elevated plasma glucose levels and diabetes. CONCLUSIONS: We identify a novel susceptibility locus for OA that has been previously implicated in diabetes and glycaemic traits.

PERI-operative biologic DMARD management: Stoppage or COntinuation during orthoPaEdic operations (the PERISCOPE trial) - a study protocol for a pragmatic, UK multicentre, superiority randomised controlled trial with an internal pilot, economic evaluation and nested qualitative study.

INTRODUCTION: Biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) have revolutionised the treatment of inflammatory arthritis (IA). However, many people with IA still require planned orthopaedic surgery to reduce pain and improve function. Currently, bDMARDs are withheld during the perioperative period due to potential infection risk. However, this predisposes patients to IA flares and loss of disease control. The question of whether to stop or continue bDMARDs in the perioperative period has not been adequately addressed in a randomised controlled trial (RCT). METHODS AND ANALYSIS: PERISCOPE is a multicentre, superiority, pragmatic RCT investigating the stoppage or continuation of bDMARDs. Participants will be assigned 1:1 to either stop or continue their bDMARDs during the perioperative period. We aim to recruit 394 adult participants with IA. Potential participants will be identified in secondary care hospitals in the UK, screened by a delegated clinician. If eligible and consenting, baseline data will be collected and randomisation completed. The primary outcome will be the self-reported PROMIS-29 (Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System) over the first 12 weeks postsurgery. Secondary outcome measures are as follows: PROMIS - Health Assessment Questionnaire (PROMIS-HAQ), EQ-5D-5L, Disease activity: generic global Numeric Rating Scale (patient and clinician), Self-Administered Patient Satisfaction scale, Health care resource use and costs, Medication use, Surgical site infection, delayed wound healing, Adverse events (including systemic infections) and disease-specific outcomes (according to IA diagnosis). The costs associated with stopping and continuing bDMARDs will be assessed. A qualitative study will explore the patients' and clinicians' acceptability and experience of continuation/stoppage of bDMARDs in the perioperative period and the impact postoperatively. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethical approval for this study was received from the West of Scotland Research Ethics Committee on 25 April 2023 (REC Ref: 23/WS/0049). The findings from PERISCOPE will be submitted to peer-reviewed journals and feed directly into practice guidelines for the use of bDMARDs in the perioperative period. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ISRCTN17691638.

The genetic and epigenetic contributions to the development of nutritional rickets.

Nutritional rickets is an important disease in global health. Although nutritional rickets commonly manifests as bony deformities, there is an increased risk of life-threatening seizures secondary to hypocalcaemia. Dietary vitamin D deficiency is associated with the development of nutritional rickets among children and infants. This is especially true in populations of darker skinned individuals in high-latitude environments due to decreased ultraviolet light exposure, and in populations in tropical and subtropical climates due to cultural practices. A growing body of evidence has demonstrated that genetic factors might influence the likelihood of developing nutritional rickets by influencing an individual's susceptibility to develop deficiencies in vitamin D and/or calcium. This evidence has been drawn from a variety of different techniques ranging from traditional twin studies to next generation sequencing techniques. Additionally, the role of the epigenome in the development of rickets, although poorly understood, may be related to the effects of DNA methylation and non-coding RNAs on genes involved in bone metabolism. This review aims to provide an overview of the current evidence that investigates the genetic and epigenetic determinants of nutritional rickets.

Quantitating Age-Related BMD Textural Variation from DXA Region-Free-Analysis: A Study of Hip Fracture Prediction in Three Cohorts.

The risk of osteoporotic fracture is inversely related to bone mineral density (BMD), but how spatial BMD pattern influences fracture risk remains incompletely understood. This study used a pixel-level spatiotemporal atlas of proximal femoral BMD in 13,338 white European women (age 20-97 years) to quantitate age-related texture variation in BMD maps and generate a "reference" map of bone aging. We introduce a new index, called Densitometric Bone Age (DBA), as the age at which an individual site-specific BMD map (the proximal femur is studied here) best matches the median aging trajectory at that site in terms of the root mean squared error (RMSE). The ability of DBA to predict incident hip fracture and hip fracture pattern over 5 years following baseline BMD was compared against conventional region-based BMD analysis in a subset of 11,899 women (age 45-97 years), for which follow-up fracture records exist. There were 208 subsequent incident hip fractures in the study populations (138 femoral necks [FNs], 52 trochanteric [TR], 18 sites unspecified). DBA had modestly better performance compared to the conventional FN-BMD, TR-BMD, and total hip (TOT)-BMD in identifying hip fractures measured as the area under the curve (AUC) using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis by 2% (95% confidence interval [CI], -0.5% to 3.5%), 3% (95% CI, 1.0% to 4.0%), and 1% (95% CI, 0.4% to 1.6%), respectively. Compared to FN-BMD T-score, DBA improved the ROC-AUC for predicting TR fractures by ~5% (95% CI, 1.1% to 9.8%) with similar performance in identifying FN fractures. Compared to TR-BMD T-score, DBA improved the ROC-AUC for the prediction of FN fractures by ~3% (95% CI, 1.1% to 4.9%), with similar performance in identifying TR fractures. Our findings suggest that DBA may provide a spatially sensitive measure of proximal femoral fragility that is not captured by FN-BMD or TR-BMD alone. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).

Effect of Alendronic Acid on Fracture Healing: A Multicenter Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial.

There is a concern that bisphosphonates may impair fracture healing because of their inhibitory effects on bone turnover. Here we evaluated the effects of early bisphosphonate therapy on fracture healing and functional outcome following a fracture of the distal radius. The fracture and bisphosphonates (FAB) trial was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving 15 trauma centers in the United Kingdom. We enrolled 421 bisphosphonate-naive patients aged ≥50 years with a radiographically confirmed fracture of the distal radius and randomized them in a 1:1 ratio to receive alendronic acid 70 mg once weekly (n = 215) or placebo (n = 206) within 14 days of the fracture. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of fractures that had radiologically united at 4 weeks as assessed by an observer, blinded to treatment allocation. Secondary outcomes included the Disabilities of the Arm Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, range of wrist movement and grip strength, pain and analgesia requirements, and the rate of malunion. The mean ± SD age of participants was 63 ± 8.5 years and 362 (86%) were female. At 4 weeks, 48 of 202 (23.8%) fractures had united in the alendronic acid group compared with 52 of 187 (27.8%) in the placebo group (observed absolute proportion difference 4.0%; 95% CI, -4.7% to 12.8%; p = 0.36). The absolute proportion difference between groups based on imputed data was 4.5% (95% CI, -4.7% to 13.8%; p = 0.30). There was no significant difference in the proportion of fractures that had united at any other time point and no differences in the DASH score, pain at the fracture site, grip strength, or any other clinical outcome. We conclude that among patients aged 50 years and above with a distal radius fracture, early administration of alendronic acid does not adversely affect fracture union or clinical outcome. These findings suggest bisphosphonate therapy can be safely commenced early after fracture if clinically indicated. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Effects of chronic cobalt and chromium exposure after metal-on-metal hip resurfacing: An epigenome-wide association pilot study.

Metal-on-metal (MOM) hip resurfacing has recently been a popular prosthesis choice for the treatment of symptomatic arthritis, but results in the release of cobalt and chromium ions into the circulation that can be associated with adverse clinical effects. The mechanism underlying these effects remains unclear. While chromosomal aneuploidy and translocations are associated with this exposure, the presence of subtle structural epigenetic modifications in patients with MOM joint replacements remains unexplored. Consequently, we analyzed whole blood DNA methylation in 34 OA patients with MOM hip resurfacing (MOM HR) compared to 34 OA patients with non-MOM total hip replacements (non-MOM THR), using the genome-wide Illumina HumanMethylation 450k BeadChip. No probes showed differential methylation significant at 5% false-discovery rate (FDR). We also tested association of probe methylation levels with blood chromium and cobalt levels directly; there were no significant associations at 5% FDR. Finally, we used the "epigenetic clock" to compare estimated to actual age at sample for all individuals. We found no significant difference between MOM HR and non-MOM THR, and no correlation of age acceleration with blood metal levels. Our results suggest the absence of large methylation differences systemically following metal exposure, however, larger sample sizes will be required to identify potential small effects. Any DNA methylation changes that may occur in the local periprosthetic tissues remain to be elucidated. © 2017 The Authors. Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society. J Orthop Res 35:2323-2328, 2017.

Osteocyte physiology and response to fluid shear stress are impaired following exposure to cobalt and chromium: Implications for bone health following joint replacement.

The effects of metal ion exposure on osteocytes, the most abundant cell type in bone and responsible for coordinating bone remodeling, remain unclear. However, several studies have previously shown that exposure to cobalt (Co2+ ) and chromium (Cr3+ ), at concentrations equivalent to those found clinically, affect osteoblast and osteoclast survival and function. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that metal ions would similarly impair the normal physiology of osteocytes. The survival, dendritic morphology, and response to fluid shear stress of the mature osteocyte-like cell-line MLO-Y4 following exposure to clinically relevant concentrations and combinations of Co and Cr ions were measured in 2D-culture. Exposure of MLO-Y4 cells to metal ions reduced cell number, increased dendrites per cell and increased dendrite length. We found that combinations of metal ions had a greater effect than the individual ions alone, and that Co2+ had a predominate effect on changes to cell numbers and dendrites. Combined metal ion exposure blunted the responses of the MLO-Y4 cells to fluid shear stress, including reducing the intracellular calcium responses and modulation of genes for the osteocyte markers Cx43 and Gp38, and the signaling molecules RANKL and Dkk-1. Finally, we demonstrated that in the late osteoblasts/early osteocytes cell line MLO-A5 that Co2+ exposure had no effect on mineralization, but Cr3+ treatment inhibited mineralization in a dose-dependent manner, without affecting cell viability. Taken together, these data indicate that metal exposure can directly affect osteocyte physiology, with potential implications for bone health including osseointegration of cementless components, and periprosthetic bone remodeling. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Orthopaedic Research Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society. J Orthop Res 35:1716-1723, 2017.

Quantitating the effect of prosthesis design on femoral remodeling using high-resolution region-free densitometric analysis (DXA-RFA).

Dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is the reference standard method used to study bone mineral density (BMD) after total hip arthroplasty (THA). However, the subtle, spatially complex changes in bone mass due to strain-adaptive bone remodeling relevant to different prosthesis designs are not readily resolved using conventional DXA analysis. DXA region free analysis (DXA RFA) is a novel computational image analysis technique that provides a high-resolution quantitation of periprosthetic BMD. Here, we applied the technique to quantitate the magnitude and areal size of periprosthetic BMD changes using scans acquired during two previous randomized clinical trials (2004 to 2009); one comparing three cemented prosthesis design geometries, and the other comparing a hip resurfacing versus a conventional cementless prosthesis. DXA RFA resolved subtle differences in magnitude and area of bone remodeling between prosthesis designs not previously identified in conventional DXA analyses. A mean bone loss of 10.3%, 12.1%, and 11.1% occurred for the three cemented prostheses within a bone area fraction of 14.8%, 14.4%, and 6.2%, mostly within the lesser trochanter (p < 0.001). For the cementless prosthesis, a diffuse pattern of bone loss (-14.3%) was observed at the shaft of femur in a small area fraction of 0.6% versus no significant bone loss for the hip resurfacing prosthesis (p < 0.001). BMD increases were observed consistently at the greater trochanter for all prostheses except the hip-resurfacing prosthesis, where BMD increase was widespread across the metaphysis (p < 0.001). DXA RFA provides high-resolution insights into the effect of prosthesis design on the local strain environment in bone. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Orthopaedic Research published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society. J Orthop Res 35:2203-2210, 2017.

Expression of Cannabinoid Receptors in Human Osteoarthritic Cartilage: Implications for Future Therapies.

Introduction: Cannabinoids have shown to reduce joint damage in animal models of arthritis and reduce matrix metalloproteinase expression in primary human osteoarthritic (OA) chondrocytes. The actions of cannabinoids are mediated by a number of receptors, including cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1 and CB2), G-protein-coupled receptors 55 and 18 (GPR55 and GPR18), transient receptor potential vanilloid-1 (TRPV1), and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors alpha and gamma (PPARα and PPARγ). However, to date very few studies have investigated the expression and localization of these receptors in human chondrocytes, and expression during degeneration, and thus their potential in clinical applications is unknown. Methods: Human articular cartilage from patients with symptomatic OA was graded histologically and the expression and localization of cannabinoid receptors within OA cartilage and underlying bone were determined immunohistochemically. Expression levels across regions of cartilage and changes with degeneration were investigated. Results: Expression of all the cannabinoid receptors investigated was observed with no change with grade of degeneration seen in the expression of CB1, CB2, GPR55, PPARα, and PPARγ. Conversely, the number of chondrocytes within the deep zone of cartilage displaying immunopositivity for GPR18 and TRPV1 was significantly decreased in degenerate cartilage. Receptor expression was higher in chondrocytes than in osteocytes in the underlying bone. Conclusions: Chondrocytes from OA joints were shown to express a wide range of cannabinoid receptors even in degenerate tissues, demonstrating that these cells could respond to cannabinoids. Cannabinoids designed to bind to receptors inhibiting the catabolic and pain pathways within the arthritic joint, while avoiding psychoactive effects, could provide potential arthritis therapies.

Cobalt and chromium exposure affects osteoblast function and impairs the mineralization of prosthesis surfaces in vitro.

Cobalt (Co) and chromium (Cr) ions and nanoparticles equivalent to those released through tribo-corrosion of prosthetic metal-on-metal (MOM) bearings and taper junctions are detrimental to osteoblast activity and function in vitro when examined as individual species. Here we examined the effects of Co(2+):Cr(3+) and Co(2+):Cr(6+) combinations on osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cellular activity, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization to better reflect clinical exposure conditions in vivo. We also assessed the effect of Co(2+):Cr(3+) combinations and Co:Cr nanoparticles on SaOS-2 cell osteogenic responses on grit-blasted, plasma-sprayed titanium-coated, and hydroxyapatite-coated prosthesis surfaces. Cellular activity and ALP activity were reduced to a greater extent with combination treatments compared to individual ions. Co(2+) and Cr(3+) interacted additively and synergistically to reduce cellular activity and ALP activity, respectively, while the Co(2+) with Cr(6+) combination was dominated by the effect of Cr(6+) alone. Mineralization by osteoblasts was greater on hydroxyapatite-coated surfaces compared to grit-blasted and plasma-sprayed titanium-coated surfaces. Treatments with Co(2+):Cr(3+) ions and Co:Cr nanoparticles reduced the percentage mineralization on all surfaces, with hydroxyapatite-coated surfaces having the least reduction. In conclusion, our data suggests that previous studies investigating individual metal ions underestimate their potential clinical effects on osteoblast activity. Furthermore, the data suggests that hydroxyapatite-coated surfaces may modulate osteoblast responses to metal debris.

Effect of sliding-taper compared with composite-beam cemented femoral prosthesis loading regime on proximal femoral bone remodeling: a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This two-year randomized clinical trial was performed to examine whether the geometry of the cemented femoral prosthesis affects the pattern of strain-adaptive bone remodeling in the proximal aspect of the femur after primary total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: One hundred and twenty patients were randomized to receive a Charnley (composite-beam), Exeter (double-tapered), or C-Stem (triple-tapered) prosthesis. The change in proximal femoral bone mineral density over two years was measured by dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Bone turnover markers were measured in urine and serum samples collected at the preoperative baseline and during the first postoperative year. N-telopeptide of type-I collagen was measured in urine as a marker of osteoclast activity, and osteocalcin was measured in serum as a marker of osteoblast activity. Clinical outcome was measured with use of the Harris and Oxford hip scores and prosthesis migration was measured with use of digitized radiographs during the first two postoperative years. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics of the subjects in each group were similar (p > 0.05). Decreases in femoral bone mineral density were observed over the first year for all prosthesis designs, with no further loss during the second year. The decreases were similar in regional distribution and magnitude between the composite-beam and sliding-taper designs (p > 0.05). Bone loss was greatest (14%) in the proximal medial aspect of the femur (Gruen zone 7). Transient increases in both N-telopeptide of type-I collagen and osteocalcin activity also occurred over the first year, and these increases were similar in pattern among the three prosthesis groups (p > 0.05). All prostheses showed migration patterns that were consistent with their design type, and similar improvements in clinical hip scores were observed over the two-year course of the study. CONCLUSIONS: Differences in the mechanism of load transfer between the prosthesis and host bone in composite-beam or sliding-taper cemented femoral prosthesis designs were not a major determinant of proximal femoral bone loss after total hip arthroplasty, and the design that included a third taper exhibited a remodeling profile that was similar to those of the double-tapered design.

Individual susceptibility to periprosthetic osteolysis is associated with altered patterns of innate immune gene expression in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli.

Susceptibility to osteolysis after total hip arthroplasty (THA) varies between individuals. We examined whether patients susceptible to osteolysis (group I, n = 34 subjects) after cemented Charnley THA have quantitatively different innate immune responses to pro-inflammatory stimuli versus patients without this susceptibility (group II, n = 28 subjects) at a mean of 14 years after primary surgery. Extracted peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated for 3 h using endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide-LPS, 100 ng/mL), endotoxin-stripped titanium particles (Ti) or endotoxin-stripped particles with adherent LPS added-back (TI + LPS). Subjects returned 1 week later and the experimental protocol was repeated. Assays for mRNA induction for interleukin (IL)-1alpha, IL-1beta, IL-1Ra, IL-6, IL-10, IL-18, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF) were made using quantitative real-time PCR. Although baseline levels of mRNA expression were slightly lower in group I, inducibility of mRNA expression was markedly greater in group I versus group II for all cytokines in response to LPS or Ti + LPS, and for IL-1alpha in response to Ti (P < 0.05). LPS or Ti + LPS stimulation also resulted in an increase in the IL-1/IL-1Ra mRNA ratio in group I versus group II (P < 0.05). mRNA induction was highly reproducible between subject visits (r > 0.7, P < 0.001). Osteolysis-susceptible patients show repeatable, quantitatively different patterns of innate cytokine gene expression in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli versus THA patients who do not display this susceptibility. These innate immune differences may contribute to the variation in osteolysis-susceptibility observed clinically between individuals.