Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Articular cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis is considered to a irreversible pathological changes, but the etiological factor and pathogenesis remain unclear. 
OBJECTIVE: To summarize and discuss the etiology, mechanisms and the change of related biomarkers of osteoarthritis.
METHODS: First author searched literatures from CNKI and Medline database from 2000 to 2010 using key words of “osteoarthritis, articular cartilage, degradation, basic research, biological markers” in Chinese or English. The manuscripts were summarized from two aspects: role of relative factors caused osteoarthritis and related biomarkers. The pathology, biochemical, immune factors and research status of biomarkers of osteoarthritis were introduced.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Totally 60 papers were searched and 20 papers were selected. The results showed that, type Ⅱ tropocollagen carboxypropeptide and carboxyl terminus increased in the process of articular cartilage degeneration. Matrix metalloproteinases, biological free radicals, nitric oxide and immune factors involved in osteoarthritis degeneration process, but the specific pathogenesis still needs to be explored.