Increased urinary type II collagen C-telopeptide levels in Tunisian patients with knee osteoarthritis.

Unlabelled: Osteoarthritis is characterized by a progressive degeneration of articular cartilage and loss of joint function. Clinical assessment of osteoarthritis is hampered by the lack of accurate measures of disease and disease progression, especially during the early stage.

Background: To investigate urinary C-telopeptide fragments of type II collagen (CTX-II) levels in knee osteoarthritis in the Tunisian population compared with controls and to assess the association between this biomarker and radiological signs.

Association of serum levels of aggrecan ARGS, NITEGE fragments and radiologic knee osteoarthritis in Tunisian patients.

Objectives: Proteolytic degradation of aggrecan is a hallmark of the pathology of osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to develop enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to quantify the serum levels of specific aggrecan fragments generated by aggrecanases-mediated cleavage. We investigated the relationships between these two aggrecan degradations fragments and urinary CTX-II levels.

Effects of etanercept on serum biochemical markers of cartilage metabolism in patients with spondyloarthropathy.

Objective: Anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapies provide symptomatic benefit in patients with spondyloarthropathy (SpA). Their effect on structural lesions has not yet been assessed. Biochemical markers of cartilage turnover revealing type II collagen degradation and synthesis are associated with joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis; their role in SpA is unknown.

A 5-yr longitudinal study of type IIA collagen synthesis and total type II collagen degradation in patients with knee osteoarthritis--association with disease progression.

Objectives: The 5-yr longitudinal study tested the hypothesis that serum and urinary markers of type II collagen metabolism would be associated with radiological progression of disease in patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Synthesis of type IIA collagen and degradation of total type II collagen were assessed in 135 patients with mild-to-moderate knee OA over 5 yrs using serum concentration of the N-propeptide of collagen type IIA (PIIANP) and urinary excretion of crosslinked C-telopeptide (CTX-II), respectively. The markers were measured at baseline, 2, 3 and 5 yrs' follow-up corresponding to X-ray time points.

Increased urinary type II collagen helical and C telopeptide levels are independently associated with a rapidly destructive hip osteoarthritis.

Objectives: Biochemical markers reflecting the degradation of the type II collagen helical (Helix-II) and type II collagen C telopeptides (CTX-II) have been developed.

Aim: To investigate the association of rapidly destructive hip osteoarthritis with urinary Helix-II and urinary CTX-II.

Patients And Methods: 12 patients (mean age 70 years) meeting the criteria for rapidly destructive hip osteoarthritis and 28 patients with slowly progressive hip osteoarthritis (mean age 63 years) defined as <0.