Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy investigations in the pathogenesis and repair of cartilage.
Abstract: Significant complications in the management of osteoarthritis (OA) are the inability to identify early cartilage changes during the development of the disease, and the lack of techniques to evaluate the tissue response to therapeutic and tissue engineering interventions. In recent studies several spectroscopic parameters have been elucidated by Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS) that enable evaluation of molecular and compositional changes in human cartilage with progressively severe OA, and in repair cartilage from animal models. FT-IRIS permits evaluation of early-stage matrix changes in the primary components of cartilage, collagen and proteoglycan on histological sections at a spatial resolution of approximately 6.25 microm. In osteoarthritic cartilage, the collagen integrity, monitored by the ratio of peak areas at 1338 cm(-1)/Amide II, was found to correspond to the histological Mankin grade, the gold standard scale utilized to evaluate cartilage degeneration. Apparent matrix degradation was observable in the deep zone of cartilage even in the early stages of OA. FT-IRIS studies also found that within the territorial matrix of the cartilage cells (chondrocytes), proteoglycan content increased with progression of cartilage degeneration while the collagen content remained the same, but the collagen integrity decreased. Regenerative (repair) tissue from microfracture treatment of an equine cartilage defect showed significant changes in collagen distribution and loss in proteoglycan content compared to the adjacent normal cartilage, with collagen fibrils demonstrating a random orientation in most of the repair tissue. These studies demonstrate that FT-IRIS is a powerful technique that can provide detailed ultrastructural information on heterogeneous tissues such as diseased cartilage and thus has great potential as a diagnostic modality for cartilage degradation and repair.
Publication Date: 2006-05-23 PubMed ID: 16815242DOI: 10.1016/j.bbamem.2006.05.014Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary
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This study uses Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS) to look at the molecular and compositional changes in human cartilage under conditions of osteoarthritis (OA), and how cartilage from animal models responds to treatment and tissue engineering interventions. The results suggest that FT-IRIS has the potential to be a powerful diagnostic tool for cartilage degradation and repair.
Research Objectives and Methodology
- The main obstacle in managing osteoarthritis (OA) is the difficulty in identifying early-stage changes in the cartilage, as well as evaluating how the tissue responds to therapy and tissue engineering.
- The researchers used Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy (FT-IRIS) to study molecular and compositional changes in human cartilage experiencing different levels of OA, and in repair cartilage from animal models.
- One of the primary benefits of FT-IRIS is its ability to evaluate early matrix changes in the cartilage’s main components—collagen and proteoglycan—at a spatial resolution of about 6.25 micrometers.
- The researchers inspected changes in collagen integrity and matrix degradation as factors related to the progression of OA, as well as the distribution of collagen and proteoglycan content in regenerated (repair) tissue.
Findings and Interpretation
- In the case of osteoarthritic cartilage, the integrity of collagen was measured by the ratio of peak areas at 1338 cm(-1)/Amide II, and was found to correlate with the histological Mankin grade, a scale used to evaluate cartilage degeneration.
- The study found that even in the early stages of OA, matrix degradation was visible in the deep zone of the cartilage.
- Within the territorial matrix of cartilage cells (chondrocytes), proteoglycan content was found to increase with the progression of cartilage degeneration. Meanwhile, the collagen content remained unchanged, but its integrity decreased.
- In regenerated tissue obtained from microfracture treatment of an equine cartilage defect, significant changes were observed in collagen distribution and proteoglycan content compared to normal cartilage. In most of the repair tissue, collagen fibrils were found to have a random orientation.
Conclusions and Potential Applications
- These results suggest that FT-IRIS can provide detailed ultrastructural information about heterogeneous tissues like diseased cartilage. Therefore, it holds considerable potential as a diagnostic tool in evaluating cartilage degradation and repair processes.
- Improvements in the detection of early cartilage changes and in assessing the response of tissue to treatments can significantly enhance the management of osteoarthritis.
- The findings also highlight the importance of maintaining collagen integrity and proteoglycan content, both crucial factors in the health of cartilage tissue.
Cite This Article
APA
Bi X, Yang X, Bostrom MP, Camacho NP.
(2006).
Fourier transform infrared imaging spectroscopy investigations in the pathogenesis and repair of cartilage.
Biochim Biophys Acta, 1758(7), 934-941.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbamem.2006.05.014 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- The Musculoskeletal Imaging and Spectroscopy Lab, Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, NY 10021, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Animals
- Cartilage, Articular / physiology
- Cartilage, Articular / ultrastructure
- Cattle
- Diagnostic Imaging / methods
- Humans
- Middle Aged
- Osteoarthritis, Knee / diagnosis
- Osteoarthritis, Knee / pathology
- Regeneration
- Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared
Grant Funding
- R01 EB000744 / NIBIB NIH HHS
- AR46121 / NIAMS NIH HHS
- EB000744 / NIBIB NIH HHS
Citations
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