Detection of gene expression in synovium of patients with osteoarthritis using a random sequencing method

Background The etiology of osteoarthritis (OA) is multifactorial and current research attributes it to a complex network of biochemical factors. We attempted to identify important molecules in OA joint destruction.

Patients and methods Synovium was collected from 2 women with hip OA. Total RNA was extracted from the combined synovium. Messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were randomly sequenced for identification with the oligo-capping method. mRNA expression of 9 genes that were found to be frequently expressed was compared in synovium from 7 OA patients and 2 control patients with no signs of arthritis.

Results We sequenced 7,339 mRNAs in total and identified 4,247 different kinds, which were ranked in order of frequency. Fibronectin was the protein most frequently expressed (230/7,339), followed by matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) 1 and 3. The 9 genes selected were those encoding fibronectin 1, MMP1, MMP3, tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase 3, apolipoprotein L-I (APOL1), syndecan binding protein, insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5, heat shock protein 90, and a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5 (ADAMTS5). We investigated expression of these 9 genes in synovium from the 7 individual patients with OA. All 9 genes were expressed in OA and control synovium. Expression of MMP1 mRNA was weak in OA samples, however, while expression of ADAMTS5 and APOL1 mRNAs was weak in the controls and some of the OA samples.

Interpretation ADAMTS5 and APOL1 may have important roles in the mechanism of OA.