DISTRIBUTION OF TYPE-X COLLAGEN MESSENGER-RNA IN NORMAL AND OSTEOARTHRITIC HUMAN CARTILAGE

The function of collagen X, a unique homotrimer synthesised by hypertrophic chondrocytes, is not known but its localisation and transient expression at sites of calcification suggest that it is likely to be associated with events in the early stages of endochondral bone formation. Osteoarthritis (OA) is a disorder characterised by new bone formation but the role of type X collagen in its pathogenesis is unclear. A 700-bp restriction fragment encoding most of the C-terminal non-collagenous domain and part of the 3'-untranslated region of the human collagen X gene has been used for in situ hybridisation studies on human OA joints removed from hip and knee replacement operations and the results compared with immunohistochemical localisation of type X collagen gene product. Collagen X gene expression was detected in chrondrocytes present in OA tissue in areas where there appeared to be a re-initiation of the endochondral bone formation process including osteophytes and areas of subchondral bone sclerosis.