Early Morphological and Functional Reorganization of the Articular Cartilage in Rats with Experimental Osteoarthrosis of Different Genesis.

Peculiarities of the morphology of some phenotypes of experimental osteoarthrosis was studied in experiments on rats. Reorganization of the knee articular cartilage of Wistar rats during aging (age-associated phenotype), obesity (metabolic phenotype), circulatory disturbances (e.g., chronic heart failure), and their combinations (polymorbidity) was studied by hematoxylin and eosin staining, immunohistochemical staining for collagen II and caspase 3, and morphometry. High sensitivity of the cartilage to non-traumatic influence of different anthropomorphic factors was demonstrated; morphological changes in osteoarthrosis of different genesis. The most pronounced pathological changes were observed in polymorbid animals, which allowed developing a new pathogenetically substantiated model of nontraumatic osteoarthrosis.

Morphology of Synovial Membrane and Articular Cartilage in the Knee Joint in Experimental Chronic Heart Failure.

Structural-and-functional reorganization of the synovial membrane and articular cartilage in the knee joint was studied in rats with experimental chronic heart failure. Separation of fibers, decrease in the relative volume density of microcirculatory vessels, and increase in the expression of MMP-9 and caspase 3 were found in the synovial membrane. A decrease in the thickness of the surface layer (tendency to erosion), vacuolization and necrosis of chondrocytes, and increase in their readiness to programmed cell death were observed in the articular cartilage. Changes in the content of type II collagen and metachromasia were revealed in the cartilage matrix. These changes illustrate the development of degenerative arthropathy in cartilage components.

[Determination of C-peptide, serum insulin, and characteristics of tissue insulin resistance in patients with osteoarthrosis].

A hundred and seventy-nine patients with osteoarthrosis (OA) (mean age 50.48+/-5.81 years) were examined for metabolic syndrome (MS) from the International Diabetic Federation (IDF) criteria in the groups with normal and increased fasting C-peptide levels. The blood level of immunoreactive insulin was determined and the insulin resistance indices (Cari, HOMA-IR, ISI, and QUICKI) were calculated. The results were analyzed using the correlation analysis and methods of multivariate statistics. HyperC-peptidemia was found in 84.36% of patients with OA, hyperinsulinemia in 82.12%. As C-peptidemia increased, metabolic disturbances progressed in terms of levels and absolute values. At the same time four fifths of the OA patients with normal laboratory C-peptide levels were diagnosed as having MS from the 2005 IDF criteria. The level of C-peptide and the HOMA-IR and QUICKI indices were more closely correlated with the severity of polyosteoarthritis than insulin. The relationship of insulin resistance to the course of osteoarthritis has been confirmed. It is suggested that hyperC-peptidemia and hyperinsulinemia shows an inflammation-adaptive role in the pathogenesis of OA, the latter associated with obesity in particular.

[Metabolic syndrome and a course of osteoarthrosis].

AIM: To compare osteoarthritis (OA) course in patients with metabolic syndrome (MS) and those free of MS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The presence and completeness of MS according to 2005 criteria were studied in 1350 OA patients (mean age 52.65 +/- 11.31 years). Most of the patients were women (74%) and persons over 45 years of age (80%). RESULTS: MS was detected in 82.3% examinees with OA. MS was complete in 62.56%. MS-free OA was separately comorbid with arterial hypertension, obesity and diabetes mellitus. OA patients with MS had earlier clinical symptoms of OA, its longer duration, prevalence of generalized disease, more frequent development of knee joint synovitis and periarthritis, more intensive pain in the joints. OA patients with MS were more frequently affected with cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, renal and thyroid diseases, diabetes mellitus and complications of these diseases. This resulted in 2.5 times greater nosological load on the patients. 20% patients with OA were declared invalid, most of them (266, 90.17%) had MS. CONCLUSION: Relationship of OA symptoms with metabolic factors may point to participation of the latter in the development and progression of OA.

[Metabolic syndrome and rheumatic diseases].

AIM: To characterize prevalence and features of rheumatic diseases in patients with metabolic syndrome, metabolic disturbances in patients with rheumatic diseases (RD), to ascertain their most frequent variants and characteristics. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After examination of 1291 therapeutic patients 19 to 79 years of age for metabolic syndrome (MS), those with MS were screened for RD. In parallel, 1212 RD patients were studied for associated pathology: arterial hypertension, coronary heart disease, obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperuricemia and other components of MS. A separate electronic matrix was created for each of the two groups. Statistics were obtained using standard programs Statistica 6.0 and MS Excel 2000 for Windows XP 2000. RESULTS: MS was detected in 317 (24.6%) patients seeking medical advice (mean age 54.11 +/- 0.59 years). MS was complete in 272 (85.8%) patients, 287 (90.5%) had arthralgia, 131 (41.3%)--episodes of painful joints swelling in the presence of family history. RD were detected in 295 (93.1%) MS patients. Osteoarthrosis, osteochondrosis and systemic osteoporosis occurred most often. Various metabolic disorders occurred in all the examinees with RD. The disorders were most pronounced in patients with gout and osteoarthrosis. CONCLUSION: MS patients comprise a group of a high risk for RD, especially gout and osteoarthrosis.