Large and small proteoglycans of osteoarthritic and XXXX .

@entity1 @entity571 @entity12006 @entity21876 @entity2097 @entity2975 @entity31846 @entity309
OBJECTIVE: To identify characteristic changes in large aggregating (aggrecan) and small proteoglycan (PG) populations in articular cartilages during @entity571 ( @entity571 ) and @entity309 ( @entity309 ). METHODS: Aggrecan populations in @entity2097 extracts of femoral condylar cartilages of 46 @entity571 and 8 @entity309 @entity1 who underwent total knee arthroplasty, as well as of 2 fetuses and 6 normal adults, were separated in agarose- @entity2975 composite gels. Small PGs (biglycan, decorin, and @entity21876 ) in the same extracts were analyzed in 12% @entity2975 gels. Gels were stained or electrophoretically transferred and probed with antibodies to aggrecan epitopes and to small PGs. Epitope contents of the samples were also compared by inhibition radioimmunoassay. RESULTS: There were significant differences found among normal and diseased samples in their electrophoretic mobilities, band distributions, and antibody staining. @entity571 and especially @entity309 samples were heavily degraded, lacked certain aggrecan populations, and contained fewer @entity31846 and @entity12006 epitopes compared with normal samples. Levels of @entity12006 and "fetal-type" epitopes were elevated in the @entity571 samples compared with the normal ones. More core proteins of small PGs were found in diseased than in normal cartilages, but they were more heterogeneous in size and glycosaminoglycan substitution. CONCLUSION: There is extensive degradation of both large and small PGs in diseased cartilages, but a repair process does exist, especially in @entity571 cartilages. Chondrocytes of diseased cartilages are able to synthesize fetal-type aggrecans. Small PGs are glycosylated differently in diseased cartilages than in normal ones.
