The Clinical Study Of The Relationship Of KLF5 And MMP-9 Expression And Neurovascular Invasion In Osteoarthritis

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the expression of factor of krüppel-like factor (KLF)-5,matrix metalloproteinase-9(MMP-9)and neurovascular invasion in osteophytes in osteoarthritis (OA).Methods and results: 31 articular cartilage samples were collected from 20 patients who had undergone total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and each sample was divided into two groups, no change (NC, n=17) and severe change (SC, n=29) according to Mankin score and safranin O staining. Neurovascular markers protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 and CD34, and the expression of KLF-5,MMP-9 were detected by immunohistochemistry.Vascular channels were observed in both NC and SC sections. In SC sections, 16/29 (55.2%) sections displayed vessels entering the calcified cartilage, which was more than that in NC group (2/17, 11.7%, P<0.05). The frequency of neurovascular invasion was significantly different between SC and NC (P<0.05). Innervation always accompanied vascular invasion at the osteochondral junction. The severity of neurovascular invasion was positively correlated with the expression of KLF5 and MMP-9 in chondrocytes at the same site that was significantly different between SC and NC samples.Conclusions: KLF5-induced MMP-9 expression may be involved in cartilage matrix degradation and vascularization.