Hypoxia-inducible factor 1 alpha and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor in knee osteoarthritis cartilage

Yu Yang; Cui Lei

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2015.11.009

Abstract：BACKGROUND:Hypoxia-inducible factor 1α and granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor can promote the development of osteoarthritis under inflammatory conditions. OBJECTIVE:To explore the expression of hypoxia inducible factor 1α and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in knee osteoarthritis cartilage tissue and to analyze its clinical significance. METHODS:Thirty-two patients with knee osteoarthritis who underwent knee replacement were selected and cartilage tissues were obtained as knee osteoarthritis group. Another 10 patients with femoral neck fractures served as controls. mRNA and protein levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1α and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor in the cartilage tissue were detected by real-time PCR and western blot, respectively. Modified Mankin score was used to assess knee damage in knee osteoarthritis patients. Relationship between <br> mRNA levels of hypoxia inducible factor 1α and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and modified Mankin scores were analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Hypoxia inducible factor 1α and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor gene and protein expressions were significantly higher in the knee osteoarthritis group than the control group, in knee osteoarthritis patients aged > 60 years than patients≤ 60 years (P < 0.05), as wel as higher in secondary knee osteoarthritis patients than primary osteoarthritis patients (P < 0.05). Hypoxia inducible factor 1α and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor protein levels and gene levels had statisticaly significant differences between different pathological grades (P < 0.05); moreover, the severer osteoarthritis, the higher expression levels. Hypoxia inducible factor 1α and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNA expression of knee osteoarthritis patients were positively correlated with the modified Mankin scores (r=0.83,P < 0.05;r=0.80,P< 0.05). These findings indicate that hypoxia inducible factor 1α and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor expression levels are increased in the knee cartilage tissue of osteoarthritis patients, which display a distribution difference among a variety of pathological parameters and play an important role in the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis.