| Budget Amount *help |
¥4,420,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,020,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥1,040,000 (Direct Cost: ¥800,000、Indirect Cost: ¥240,000)
Fiscal Year 2011: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2010: ¥1,820,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,400,000、Indirect Cost: ¥420,000)
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| Research Abstract |
Osteopontin (OPN) is an O-glycosylated phosphoprotein which is synthesized in a variety of tissues and cells including chondrocytes and synoviocytes. Accumulating data indicated that OPN is involved in the process of inflammation, immunity, and bone metabolism. OPN knockout mice have already been created and shown that cartilage degradation is accelerated in the absence of OPN. Human studies revealed that OPN protein level increased in the synovial fluid from the patients suffering from OA and RA. These data strongly suggest that OPN is involved in joint homeostasis and in the pathogenesis of arthritis. However, the molecular functions of OPN in these processes are not yet extensively studied. Here we report that synovial fluid OPN level is associated with the severity of joint pain.This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of this institute. All patients included in this study gave their full, written, informed consent for participation prior to the operative procedure. Tissue s
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amples (synovial fluid and synovial membrane) were obtained from the patients who underwent anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACL-R) from January 2009 till October 2011 in our hospital. OPN mRNA expressed in synovial membrane was quantified by RT-QPCR (Roche, Light Cycler 480, Germany). Total OPN protein levels in synovial fluid were quantified using OPN/OPN N-half ELISA kit (IBL, Japan) and compared them with clinical parameters such as Lysholm score, visual analogue scale (VAS), serum C-reactive protein (CRP) level, and macroscopic observation of cartilage degradation.As previously reported, OPN mRNA expression level in synovial membrane and OPNprotein level in synovial fluid were significantly increased in OA if compared with those of ACL-R.In the ACL-R group, OPN protein level in synovial fluid was gradually decreased after the injury. We found that OPN protein level in synovial fluid was POSITIVELY associated with the severity of joint pain (VAS). Since OPN acts as a pro-inflammatory cytokines by enhancing migration, survival, phagocytosis, and pro-inflammatory cytokine production of macrophages, we hypothesized that OPN induces joint pain by promoting inflammation in the joint. To test this hypothesis, we investigated the correlation of OPN protein level in synovial fluid with serum CRP level. However, we did not observe any correlation between these two. However, OPN level was positively correlated with the volume of synovial fluid, a marker for joint inflammation. Less
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