Integrating Articular Cartilage Histopathology with CTX-II and COMP as Synovial Fluid Biomarkers for a Comprehensive Analysis in Osteoarthritis Evaluation †
by
, and
Sofija Semenistaja
1,*, 
Lība Sokolovska
2,
Pēteris Studers
3,4,
Anda Kadiša
5,
Valērija Groma
6 and
Sandra Skuja
6 1
Department of Doctoral Studies, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
2
Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Rīga Stradiņš University, Rātsupītes St. 5, LV-1067 Riga, Latvia
3
Joint Laboratory of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1005 Riga, Latvia
4
Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Duntes St. 22, LV-1005 Riga, Latvia
5
Department of Internal Diseases, Rīga Stradiņš University, LV-1007 Riga, Latvia
6
Joint Laboratory of Electron Microscopy, Institute of Anatomy and Anthropology, Rīga Stradiņš University, Kronvalda blvd 9, LV-1010 Riga, Latvia
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
Presented at the 3rd International Electronic Conference on Biomolecules, 23–25 April 2024; Available online: https://sciforum.net/event/IECBM2024.
Proceedings 2024, 103(1), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024103038
Published: 12 April 2024
(This article belongs to the Proceedings of The 3rd International Electronic Conference on Biomolecules)
1. Introduction
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of chronic joint disease characterized by the loss of cartilage as the primary site of the lesion. Both collagenous and non-collagenous proteins of the extracellular matrix (ECM) are dysregulated by the cellular component damage. Alterations in cartilage composition may manifest through variations in synovial fluid concentrations of C-terminal cross-linked telopeptides of type II collagen (CTX-II) and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) [1]. This study seeks to decode histological alterations in the cartilage and establish a symbiotic relationship with concentrations of specific ECM proteins within the synovial fluid as potential OA biomarkers [2,3,4].
2. Methods
Twenty-five surgically obtained cartilage tissue samples were stained with toluidine blue and analysed using the OARSI histopathological grading system under a light microscope both quantitatively and semi-quantitatively [5]. The presence of CTX-II and COMP proteins was measured in the synovial fluid samples using ELISA. The SPSS 28.0 program was used for statistical data analysis.
3. Results
The OARSI score median value was 4.0 (3.0;4.5), attributable to the delamination of the superficial cartilage zone. A greater number of single cells in comparison with cellular clusters was found: 60.00 (45.00;84.00) and 26.00 (22.00;48.00), respectively. Proteoglycan staining was 1.00 (1.00;2.00), attributable to low intensity (Figure 1). A negative correlation between ECM oedema and proteoglycan staining was found (r = −0.445; p = 0.043). The mean levels of CTX-II and COMP in synovial fluid were 1092 pg/mL (SD 537.95) and 1262 ng/mL (SD 339.47), respectively. There was a positive correlation between CTX-II and OA radiographic severity (r = 0.305; p = 0.041); the COMP and OA radiographic severity correlation was negative (r = −0.286; p = 0.049).
4. Conclusions
The identified positive correlation between OA radiographic severity and CTX-II levels in synovial fluid suggests that CTX-II may hold promise as a valuable biomarker for tracking OA progression. This implication opens up possibilities for early detection and targeted interventions in the management of the disease.
Author Contributions
Conceptualization, S.S. (Sofija Semenistaja) and S.S. (Sandra Skuja); methodology, S.S. (Sofija Semenistaja) and S.S. (Sandra Skuja); formal analysis, S.S. (Sofija Semenistaja) and L.S.; data curation, L.S., P.S., S.S. (Sofija Semenistaja); writing—original draft preparation, S.S. (Sofija Semenistaja) and S.S. (Sandra Skuja); writing—review and editing, S.S. (Sofija Semenistaja), S.S. (Sandra Skuja), A.K. and V.G. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.
Funding
This study received no external funding.
Institutional Review Board Statement
The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Ethics Committee of Rīga Stradiņš University (Decision 2-PĒK-4/36/2023 on 7 January 2023).
Informed Consent Statement
Informed consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.
Data Availability Statement
A publicly available bibliographic database, PubMed.gov, was used in this study. The full bibliographic reference list is available upon request from the corresponding author.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
References
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Figure 1.
The histopathological evaluation of osteoarthritic cartilage tissue stained with toluidine blue: (A) Uneven but intact cartilage surface, occasional cellular changes, OARSI histopathological grading score 1.5; (B) Delamination of the superficial cartilage zone, vertical fissures extending into mid zone reveal some slight branching characteristic of an OARSI histopathological grading score 3.5 (white arrows); (C) Denudation of the cartilage attributable to an OARSI histopathological grading score 5.5; (D) Cartilage extracellular matrix oedema, reduced proteoglycan staining, and hypocellularity with single cells (black arrow) and rare cellular clusters visible (white arrow). Original magnification ×250, scale bars 50 µm.
Figure 1.
The histopathological evaluation of osteoarthritic cartilage tissue stained with toluidine blue: (A) Uneven but intact cartilage surface, occasional cellular changes, OARSI histopathological grading score 1.5; (B) Delamination of the superficial cartilage zone, vertical fissures extending into mid zone reveal some slight branching characteristic of an OARSI histopathological grading score 3.5 (white arrows); (C) Denudation of the cartilage attributable to an OARSI histopathological grading score 5.5; (D) Cartilage extracellular matrix oedema, reduced proteoglycan staining, and hypocellularity with single cells (black arrow) and rare cellular clusters visible (white arrow). Original magnification ×250, scale bars 50 µm.
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MDPI and ACS Style
Semenistaja, S.; Sokolovska, L.; Studers, P.; Kadiša, A.; Groma, V.; Skuja, S. Integrating Articular Cartilage Histopathology with CTX-II and COMP as Synovial Fluid Biomarkers for a Comprehensive Analysis in Osteoarthritis Evaluation. Proceedings 2024, 103, 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024103038
AMA Style
Semenistaja S, Sokolovska L, Studers P, Kadiša A, Groma V, Skuja S. Integrating Articular Cartilage Histopathology with CTX-II and COMP as Synovial Fluid Biomarkers for a Comprehensive Analysis in Osteoarthritis Evaluation. Proceedings. 2024; 103(1):38. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024103038
Chicago/Turabian StyleSemenistaja, Sofija, Lība Sokolovska, Pēteris Studers, Anda Kadiša, Valērija Groma, and Sandra Skuja. 2024. "Integrating Articular Cartilage Histopathology with CTX-II and COMP as Synovial Fluid Biomarkers for a Comprehensive Analysis in Osteoarthritis Evaluation" Proceedings 103, no. 1: 38. https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2024103038
