The D-repeat polymorphism in the ASPN gene and primary knee osteoarthritis in a Mexican mestizo population: a case-control study

Pathways Activated by Infected and Bystander Chondrocytes in Response to Ross River Virus Infection

Old world alphaviruses, such as Ross River virus (RRV), cause debilitating arthralgia during acute and chronic stages of the disease. RRV-induced cartilage degradation has been implicated as a cause of joint pain felt by RRV patients. Chondrocytes are a major cell type of cartilage and are involved in the production and maintenance of the cartilage matrix. It is thought that these cells may play a vital role in RRV disease pathogenesis. In this study, we used RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to examine the transcriptomes of RRV-infected and bystander chondrocytes in the same environment. RRV containing green fluorescent protein (GFP) allowed for the separation of RRV-infected (GFP+) and bystander uninfected cells (GFP-). We found that whereas GFP+ and GFP- populations commonly presented similar gene expression profiles during infection, there were also unique signatures. For example, RIMS2 and FOXJ1 were unique to GFP+ cells, whilst Aim2 and CCL8 were only found in bystander chondrocytes. This indicates that careful selection of potential therapeutic targets is important to minimise adverse effects to the neighbouring uninfected cell populations. Our study serves as a resource to provide more information about the pathways and responses elicited by RRV in cells which are both infected and stimulated because of neighbouring infected cells.

Association between the aspartic acid D-repeat polymorphisms and osteoarthritis susceptibility: An updated systematic review and meta-analyses

OBJECTIVES

Association between the D-repeat of asporin (ASPN) gene and osteoarthritis (OA) was still inconsistent. We performed this meta-analysis to systematically assess the D-repeat polymorphisms in OA susceptibility.

METHODS

Relevant studies were enrolled by searching databases. Odd ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were used for evaluating the association between ASPN gene and OA. Heterogeneity was calculated using the Q statistic, and three different subgroup analyses were performed on ethnicity, gender, and OA positions respectively. False discovery rate (FDR) was applied to regulate the multiple comparisons.

RESULTS

Twelve qualified articles involving 5190 OA patients and 5167 healthy controls were included. With D13 polymorphism, Caucasian male patients have low OA susceptibility (P = .008, PFDR = .024, OR [95% CI] = 0.83 [0.73-0.95]). As to D14 polymorphism, all male patients (P = .0004, PFDR = .001, OR [95% CI] = 1.38 [1.15-1.64]), Asian male patients (P = .01, PFDR = .01, OR [95% CI] = 1.72 [1.11-2.66]), and Caucasian male patients (P = .005, PFDR = .001, OR [95% CI] = 1.32 [1.09-1.60]) have high OA susceptibility. In the pooled-population of KOA with D14 polymorphism, overall male patients (P = .03, PFDR = .045, OR [95% CI] = 1.35 [1.02-1.78]) and Asian male patients (P = .01, PFDR = .03, OR [95% CI] = 1.72 [1.11-2.66]) have high OA risk. With D16 polymorphism, Latin America patients may have high OA risk (P = .04, PFDR = .15, OR [95% CI] = 1.43 [1.02-2.01]).

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that D-repeat of ASPN gene is mainly associated with male patients. The D13 polymorphism plays a protective role for OA in Caucasians male individuals while D14 plays a risk factor for KOA in male patients.

Genetic polymorphism in the asporin gene is not a key risk factor for osteoarthritis: Evidence based on an updated cumulative meta-analysis

To provide an evidence-based medical basis for the treatment of osteoarthritis, a meta-analysis was performed to assess the association between asporin (ASPN) gene polymorphism and susceptibility to osteoarthritis (OA). The current study searched the literature from January 1st, 1915 through February 1st, 2017 using the Cochrane Library, PubMed, the Excerpta Medica database (EMBASE) and three main Chinese databases (VIP, CNKI and Wan Fang). Cohort and case-control studies that explored the association between different types of ASPN alleles and OA susceptibility were evaluated. The K/L grading system, clinical and radiological diagnoses were used for OA diagnosis. A random-effects model was used in a pooled analysis to adjust for heterogeneity of the included studies, and the differences between treatment groups were reported as odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence intervals (CIs) and P-values. Begg's funnel plots and Egger's tests were used to assess publication bias in the present meta-analysis. Following document retrieval and screening, a total of 10 studies were deemed eligible, including 4,842 patients and 3,661 healthy subjects. Results of the multivariate meta-regression analysis revealed that the study sample size was a source of heterogeneity between studies. The D17 allele was a risk factor for the development of OA (OR=1.33, 95% CI: 1.02–1.73, P<0.05). The other alleles were not considered as risk factors for development of OA (P>0.05). The results of the meta-analysis verified that ASPN polymorphisms were not significantly relevant to an increased OA risk. However, the mechanisms contributing to the association between ASPN polymorphisms and OA risk still require further study.

Association of aspartic acid repeat polymorphism in the asporin gene with osteoarthritis of knee, hip, and hand: A PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Several human studies have been conducted to explore the association between aspirin (ASPN) D-repeat polymorphisms and OA susceptibility, but these provide inconsistent results. Our primary aim is to examine whether D-repeat polymorphisms are related to OA risk.

METHODS

We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the association between ASPN D-repeat polymorphisms and OA. Electronic database was searched, including PubMed, Embase, CNKI, Ovid, and the reference lists of relevant articles published from the inception to January 24, 2018. The included studies were assessed in the following allele model: D14 allele versus others combined, D13 allele versus others combined, D15 allele versus others combined, and D14 allele versus D13 allele. Female population was also analyzed separately.

RESULTS

Eleven articles (12 comparisons) with 4975 patients of knee, hip, and/or hand OA and 3754 controls were considered in this meta-analysis. For the D13 allele, OR and 95% CI in combined population indicated an borderline association (odds ratio [OR] = 0.94, confidence interval [CI]: 0.89-0.99, P = .027). No significant association between OA and the D14 allele and D15 allele in all pooled studies were observed.

CONCLUSION

Our result based on previously published studies demonstrated that the ASPN D13 allele was a protective factor for OA of knee, hip, and hand. For D14 and D15 allele, our present meta-analysis did not demonstrate statistically significant association. Further studies with larger sample size would be required.

An updated meta-analysis of the asporin gene D-repeat in knee osteoarthritis: effects of gender and ethnicity

Background

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is the most prevalent form of knee joint disease and characterized by the progressive degeneration of articular cartilage. Although pathology of KOA remains unknown, genetic factors are considered to be the major cause. Asporin is a group of biologically active components of extracellular matrix (ECM) in articular cartilage, and asporin gene (ASPN) D-repeat polymorphism was reported to be associated with KOA. Thus, our meta-analysis is aimed at investigation of the association between asporin D-repeat polymorphism and susceptibility of KOA.

Methods

We gathered data from MEDLINE, Embase, OVID, and ScienceDirect to search relevant published epidemiological studies through April 2017. Compared with previous studies, our meta-analysis is the first study to investigate the association of ASPN D15, D16, and D17 alleles and KOA susceptibility by ethnic- and sex-stratified subgroup analysis.

Results

We found no significant association between D15 allele and susceptibility to KOA (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.95–1.17) in overall population. The same results were observed in the analysis of D16 (OR = 1.01, 95% CI 0.80–1.28) and D17 alleles (OR = 1.28, 95% CI 0.91–1.80). The ethnic- and sex-subgroup analyses did not alter the ORs. However, significant association was detected in the sensitivity analysis of D17 in overall population (OR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.95–1.17) and Asian population (OR = 1.78, 95% CI 1.02–3.11, P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Our results indicated that D-repeat polymorphism of ASPN may not play a major role in susceptibility of KOA in ethnic- and sex-specific analysis. Because of the limitations of the present meta-analysis, firm conclusions could not be drawn based on the current evidence, and further studies are required to detect genuine role of ASPN.

Association between aspartic acid repeat polymorphism of the asporin gene and risk of knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

Studies have assessed the association between aspartic acid (D)-repeat polymorphism in the gene encoding Asporin (ASPN) and knee osteoarthritis (KOA) risk, but the results were inconclusive and contradictory. Therefore, we performed a meta-analysis to investigate the association between ASPN gene D-repeat polymorphism and KOA risk.

METHODS

Eligible studies were identified by searching several electronic databases for relevant reports published before September 2016. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) for the association between ASPN polymorphism and KOA and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using the random- or fixed-effect model.

RESULTS

A total of eleven case-control studies in ten publications with 4610 KOA cases and 3621 controls were included for the ASPN D-repeat polymorphism. Overall, no significant association was detected for D14 allele carrier (D14 vs. D13: OR = 1.10, 95% CI = 0.90-1.36, p = 0.32). Meta-analysis of D14 vs. other alleles and D13 vs. other alleles showed the same pattern of KOA association as the D14 vs. D13 (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.00-1.70, p = 0.06; OR = 0.93, 95% CI = 0.82-1.06, p = 0.33, respectively). Also, in the stratified analysis by ethnicity, no significant association of this polymorphism with risk of KOA was found in the European and Asians populations (OR = 1.05, 95% CI = 0.91-1.21, p = 0.49; OR = 0.98, 95% CI = 0.78-1.23, p = 0.88, respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

The present meta-analysis suggests that the ASPN D-repeat polymorphism is not associated with an increased KOA risk. However, future large studies with gene-gene and gene-environment interactions are needed to validate these findings.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III diagnostic study.

D14 repeat polymorphism of the asporin gene is associated with primary osteoarthritis of the knee in a Mexican Mestizo population

BACKGROUND

Asporin is a novel extracellular matrix protein (ECM) with an important role in the development of osteoarthritis (OA), because it has been reported that functional polymorphisms in the aspartic acid repeat (D) of the asporin gene (ASPN) are associated with susceptibility to OA.

AIM

This study was planned to investigate the association of the ASPN polymorphism with primary OA of the knee in a Mexican population, including several countryside regions.

METHODS

We conducted a case-control study in which 93 cases with primary OA of the knee and 118 controls were included. Cases included patients > 40 years of age, with a body mass index (BMI) ≤ 27 and a radiologic score for OA of the knee of ≥ 2. Controls were subjects > 40 years of age with a radiologic score of < 2. The D repeat polymorphism was genotyped and logistic regression was developed to evaluate risk magnitude.

RESULTS

The D14 allele was more common in our cases and was associated with an increased risk for developing OA, while the frequencies of the remaining alleles did not exhibit differences.

CONCLUSION

Our data suggest that the D14 allele of the ASPN polymorphism could exert an influence on primary OA of the knee etiology in a Mexican Mestizo population.

Asporin and osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE

To provide an overview of the literature describing the role of asporin, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP), in osteoarthritis (OA).

METHOD

A literature search was performed and reviewed using the narrative approach.

RESULTS

As a class I SLRP member, asporin, is distinct from other SLRPs. Accumulating evidence demonstrates the involvement of asporin in OA pathogenesis. Many human studies have been conducted to explore the association between the D-repeat polymorphisms and OA susceptibility, but these yield inconsistent results. Possible mechanisms for the involvement of asporin in OA pathology include its influence on TGF-β (transforming growth factor-β) signaling pathways and collagen mineralization. To date, no studies were found to use an asporin-deficient animal model that would help to understand disease mechanisms. Many issues must be addressed to clarify the link between asporin and OA to provide a novel therapeutic strategy for OA, perhaps through controlling and modifying the TGF-β-ECM system.

CONCLUSIONS

Studies examined demonstrate the involvement of asporin in OA pathogenesis, and possible mechanisms by which asporin may be involved in this process have been proposed. However, large-scale interracial studies should be conducted to investigate the association between asporin and OA, and further investigations are needed to obtain a better understanding of the disease mechanism, develop novel therapeutic strategies, and explore new approaches for diagnosis of OA.