The Expression And Significance Of β-catenin In The Articular Cartilage Of Knee Primary Osteoarthritis

Objective To investigate the level of β-catenin in pathogenesis and progression of kneeprimary osteoarthritis(OA) by detecting the expression of β-catenin in different impairedarticular cartilage of knee OA.Methods To collect40lesions cartilage specimens from adult knee primary OApatients who undergoing total knee arthroplasty and to collect10specimens from adultpatients who suffering from amputation and femoral condylar fracture between October2010and May2011. All cartilage-bone samples were taken out from femoral condylar. Thedecalcified paraffin-embedded sections were prepared and stained with Safranin O/fast green,then according to the modified version of the Mankin scale to divide the tissues: normal group(n=10),mild OA(n=12),severe OA(n=28)，the expression of β-catenin were detected in thesesamples by the Immunohistochemistry and Western-blot.Results1. Histology Observation: Safranin O/fast green staining and Mankin scale:Normal group（n=10),mankin scores(0.50±0.48),all specimens come from adult patients whosuffering from amputation and femoral condylar fracture; Mild OA(n=12),mankinscores(3.20±1.05), the cartilage characterisd by fissures within the superficial zone,chondrocyte count decreased and disordered, dupl icated tidemark; Severe OA(n=28),mankin scores(11.20±1.21),the cartilage characterisd by fissures extending into the deep zone,chondrocyte count obviously decreased and cluster, even the full-thickness cartilage defects.2. β-catenin expression were detected by the Immunohistochemistry showedthe normal cartilage was no immunoreactivity, mild OA expression level was156.46±8.16,severe OA expression level was112.38±12.45, and the severe OA group were significantly higher than the mild OA(t=10.820，P=0.000);the same results were detected by theWestern-blot, mild OA expression level was0.235±0.037, severe OA expression level was0.452±0.021, the severe OA group were significantly higher than the mild OA(t=19.001，P=0.000)Conclusions β-catenin play a significant role in the pathogenesis and progression ofknee primary OA, the mechanism may be Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is activated topromote transcription of inflammatory genes, eventually leading to the destruction of articularcartilage.