Different mechanical loading protocols influence serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein levels in young healthy humans

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to investigate whether a relationship between the loading mode of physical activity and serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) concentration exists and whether the lymphatic system contributes to COMP release into the serum. Serum COMP levels were determined in healthy male subjects before, after and at 18 further time points within 7 h at four separate experimental days with four different loading interventions. The loading intervention included high impact running exercise, slow but deep knee bends, and lymphatic drainage of 30 min duration, respectively, and a resting protocol. The serum COMP levels were measured using a commercially available quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An increase (p < 0.001) in serum COMP concentration was detected immediately after 30 min running exercise. Slow but deep knee bends did not cause any significant changes in serum COMP levels. Lymphatic drainage also had no effect on the serum COMP concentration. After 30 min of complete rest the serum COMP level was significantly (p = 0.008) reduced. The elevation of COMP serum concentration seems to depend on the loading mode of the physical activity and to reflect the extrusion of COMP fragments from the impact loaded articular cartilage or synovial fluid.

Marathon performance but not BMI affects post-marathon pro-inflammatory and cartilage biomarkers

“…Immediately and 24 hours after the marathon race, more than half of our participants had values above 15 U/L previously related to a high risk of aggressive joint destruction (Andersson et al, 2013). Increases in COMP in this study were greater than those reported for shorter running exercises (Denning et al, 2014;Kersting et al, 2005;Niehoff et al, 2010;Niehoff et al, 2011) and comparable to observed changes after marathon races (Kim et al, 2009;Neidhart et al, 2000). In contrast to a previous study (Neidhart et al, 2000), COMP concentrations did not return to baseline within 24 hours after the marathon in all runners.…”

“…For instance, serum concentrations of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) increase after exercise bouts of walking (Mündermann, Dyrby, Andriacchi, & King, 2005;Mündermann, King, Smith, & Andriacchi, 2009;Pruksakorn et al, 2013), running (Kersting, Stubendorff, Schmidt, & Bruggemann, 2005;Niehoff et al, 2010;Niehoff et al, 2011) and marathon running (Neidhart et al, 2000) but not after deep knee bends (Niehoff et al, 2010). Hence, load-induced changes in COMP appear to be sensitive to load magnitude.…”

Longitudinal Documentation of Serum Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein and Patient-Reported Outcomes in Collegiate Soccer Athletes Over the Course of an Athletic Season

“…7, 9, 13, 16, 30, 35, 36 Serum COMP levels are elevated after intense exercise, 23, 33 and are elevated in subjects who participated in less strenuous forms of physical activity. 31, 32, 34 This indicates that exercise stresses the articular cartilage. However, the balance of cartilage turnover caused by exercise and that which may cause long term ramifications is unknown.…”

Effect of Exercise-Induced Enhancement of the Leg-Extensor Muscle-Tendon Unit Capacities on Ambulatory Mechanics and Knee Osteoarthritis Markers in the Elderly

“…COMP is an established biomarker for joint degeneration and cartilage thinning [16], [17], and its serum level increases with mechanical loading [18], [19], [20]. Erhart-Hledik et al [16], for example, showed that a short-term change in serum COMP concentration induced by a mechanical stimulus is associated with long-term degenerative morphological changes in cartilage at the tibiofemoral joint.…”

“…In order to determine potential changes in cartilage response in the elderly due to the motor task reorganization, serum levels of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) as a biomarker of cartilage metabolism were analyzed after a controlled incline walking exercise on the treadmill. COMP is currently being studied as a serum marker for cartilage degeneration in OA and knee joint disease [16], [17], and its serum level increases with cyclic mechanical loading [18], [19], [20]. Therefore, we additionally aimed to test the hypothesis that the consequences of the lower ambulatory knee joint loading in the elderly after the improvement of the TS and QF MTU capacities would influence cartilage metabolism by decreasing the serum COMP concentration after the cyclic loading exercise.…”