Objective. Articular cartilage vesicles (ACVs) are extracellular organelles found in normal articular cartilage. While they were initially defined by their ability to generate pathologic calcium crystals in cartilage of osteoarthritis (OA) patients, they can also alter the phenotype of normal chondrocytes through the transfer of RNA and protein. The purpose of this study was to analyze the proteome of ACVs from normal and OA human cartilage.Methods. ACVs were isolated from cartilage samples from 10 normal controls and 10 OA patients. We identified the ACV proteomes using in-gel trypsin digestion, nanospray liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry analysis of tryptic peptides, followed by searching an appropriate subset of the Uniprot database. We further differentiated between normal and OA ACVs by Holm-Sidak analysis for multiple comparison testing.Results. More than 1,700 proteins were identified in ACVs. Approximately 170 proteins satisfied our stringent criteria of having >1 representative peptide per protein present, and a false discovery rate of <5%. These proteins included extracellular matrix components, phospholipid binding proteins, enzymes, and cytoskeletal components, including actin. While few proteins were seen exclusively in normal or OA ACVs, immunoglobulins and complement components were present only in OA ACVs. Compared to normal ACVs, OA ACVs displayed decreases in matrix proteoglycans and increases in transforming growth factor ␤-induced protein ␤ig-H3, DEL-1, vitronectin, and serine protease HtrA1 (P < 0.01).Conclusion. These findings lend support to the concept of ACVs as physiologic structures in articular cartilage. Changes in OA ACVs are largely quantitative and reflect an altered matrix and the presence of inflammation, rather than revealing fundamental changes in composition.

Sixty breast culture specimens were obtained by needle aspiration from 54 women and 2 men. A total of 221 microbial isolates were obtained from 52 culture-positive samples. Aerobes alone were recovered from 11 patients while 5 were culture-positive for anaerobes only. Thirty-six patients harbored mixed aerobic and anaerobic microbial flora, and the anaerobic gram-positive cocci were the predominant isolates recovered. The mean microbial recovery for patients with an acute abscess was 2.9 isolates, while in patients with chronic infections the mean microbial recovery was 5. The anaerobic populations outnumbered facultative isolates by two to one, and 34% of anaerobic isolates were recovered from subculture. These findings demonstrate that, contrary to previous reports, nonpuerperal breast infections involve a mixed infection that is primarily anaerobic.

Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) crystals are commonly found in osteoarthritic joint tissues, where they predict severe disease. Unlike other types of calcium phosphate crystals, CPPD crystals form almost exclusively in the pericellular matrix of damaged articular cartilage, suggesting a key role for the extracellular matrix milieu in their development. Osteopontin is a matricellular protein found in increased quantities in the pericellular matrix of osteoarthritic cartilage. Osteopontin modulates the formation of calcium-containing crystals in many settings. We show here that osteopontin stimulates ATP-induced CPPD crystal formation by chondrocytes in vitro. This effect is augmented by osteopontin's incorporation into extracellular matrix by transglutaminase enzymes, is only modestly affected by its phosphorylation state, and is inhibited by integrin blockers. Surprisingly, osteopontin stimulates transglutaminase activity in cultured chondrocytes in a dose responsive manner. As elevated levels of transglutaminase activity promote extracellular matrix changes that permit CPPD crystal formation, this is one possible mechanism of action. We demonstrate the presence of osteopontin in the pericellular matrix of chondrocytes adjacent to CPPD deposits and near active transglutaminases. Thus, osteopontin may play an important role in facilitating CPPD crystal formation in articular cartilage. KeywordsOsteopontin; Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate; Transglutaminase; Osteoarthritis Pathologic matrix mineralization is a common occurrence in joints affected by late stage osteoarthritis. Of synovial fluids sampled at the time of knee replacement, for example, 60% contain pathologic calcium-containing crystals (Derfus et al. 2002). Both calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) and hydroxyapatite-like basic calcium phosphate (BCP) crystals occur in osteoarthritic joints. Although the role that calcium-containing crystals play in osteoarthritis is not fully understood, there is ample evidence to suggest that these crystals are active participants in joint damage. In vitro, calcium-containing crystals induce the release of catabolic cytokines and proteases from synovial cells and chondrocytes (Cheung 2001). Clinically, their presence predicts increased severity of joint damage and more rapid progression of joint destruction (Ledingham et al. 1993;Nalbant et al. 2003).Corresponding Author: Ann K. Rosenthal, MD Rheumatology Section/ cc-111W Zablocki VA Medical Center 5000 W. National Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53295-1000 TEL: 414-384-2000ann.rosenthal@med.va.gov. Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply ...

Hyperglycemia produces a reduction in PG levels related to decreased synthesis or sulfation of glycosaminoglycans, which may contribute to the tendon pathology observed clinically in diabetes.

FXIIIA is present in articular chondrocytes. FXIIIA levels correlate with TGase activity in chondrocytes. The presence of two forms of TGase in articular chondrocytes suggest an important function for this enzyme family in articular cartilage.

Objective. Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate (CPPD) and basic calcium phosphate (BCP) crystals occur in up to 60% of osteoarthritic joints and predict an increased severity of arthritis. Articular cartilage vesicles (ACVs) generate CPPD crystals in the presence of ATP and BCP crystals with added β-glycerophosphate. While ACVs are present in normal articular cartilage, they mineralize primarily in cartilage from osteoarthritic joints. The aim of this study was to explore the hypothesis that ACV mineralization is regulated by components of the surrounding extracellular matrix. Methods. Porcine ACVs were embedded in aga-rose gels containing type II and/or type I collagen and/or proteoglycans. Mineralization was measured as45Ca accumulation stimulated by ATP or β-glycerophosphate and reflects both nucleation and growth. Synthetic CPPD and BCP crystals were embedded in similar gels to isolate the effect of matrix components on crystal growth. Results. After establishing baseline responsiveness of ACVs to ATP and β-glycerophosphate in agarose gels, we examined the ability of ATP and β-glycerophosphate to stimulate mineral formation in gels containing various matrix components. Type II collagen suppressed the ability of ATP to stimulate mineralization, while a combination of type II plus type I collagen increased the effect of ATP and β -glycerophosphate on mineralization. Type I collagen affected ACV mineralization in a dose-responsive manner. Neither type of collagen significantly affected crystal growth or levels of mineralization-regulating enzymes. Proteoglycans suppressed mineral formation by ACVs in gels containing both type I and type II collagen. Conclusion. Cartilage matrix changes that occur with osteoarthritis, such as increased quantities of type I collagen and reduced proteoglycan levels, may promote ACV mineralization.

IntroductionExtracellular ATP (eATP) is released by articular chondrocytes under physiological and pathological conditions. High eATP levels cause pathologic calcification, damage cartilage, and mediate pain. We recently showed that stable over-expression of the progressive ankylosis gene product, ANK, increased chondrocyte eATP levels, but the mechanisms of this effect remained unexplored. The purpose of this work was to further investigate mechanisms of eATP efflux in primary articular chondrocytes and to better define the role of ANK in this process.MethodsWe measured eATP levels using a bioluminescence-based assay in adult porcine articular chondrocyte media with or without a 10 minute exposure to hypotonic stress. siRNAs for known ATP membrane transporters and pharmacologic inhibitors of ATP egress pathways were used to identify participants involved in chondrocyte eATP release.ResultseATP levels increased after exposure to hypotonic media in a calcium-dependent manner in monolayer and 3-dimensional agarose gel cultures (p < 0.001). A potent transient receptor potential vanilloid 4 (TRPV4) agonist mimicked the effects of hypotonic media. ANK siRNA suppressed basal (p < 0.01) and hypotonically-stressed (p < 0.001) ATP levels. This effect was not mediated by altered extracellular pyrophosphate (ePPi) levels, and was mimicked by the ANK inhibitor, probenecid (p < 0.001). The P2X7/4 receptor inhibitor Brilliant Blue G also suppressed eATP efflux induced by hypotonic media (p < 0.001), while ivermectin, a P2X4 receptor stimulant, increased eATP levels (p < 0.001). Pharmacologic inhibitors of hemichannels, maxianion channels and other volume-sensitive eATP efflux pathways did not suppress eATP levels.ConclusionsThese findings implicate ANK and P2X7/4 receptors in chondrocyte eATP efflux. Understanding the mechanisms of eATP efflux may result in novel therapies for calcium crystal arthritis and osteoarthritis.

Background: Articular cartilage vesicles (ACVs) participate in cell communication, protein secretion, and pathologic mineralization. Results: ACV release from chondrocytes is regulated in concert with autophagy and is caspase-3-and Rho/ROCK-dependent. Conclusion: Autophagy participates in chondrocyte ACV release. Significance: This work identifies a potential mechanism of ACV formation and presents opportunities to manipulate quantity and content of these important organelles.