J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2015 Aug;50(4):320-327. 10.4055/jkoa.2015.50.4.320.

Preliminary Examination for Apoptosis and Cell Proliferation Related to Aging Process in the Anterior Cruciate Ligament Cells of the Human Degenerative Arthritic Knee Joint

• Hyun RM
• Kim KW
• Jeong SW
• Chung JW
• Lee HS

• KMID: 2035869
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.2015.50.4.320

Abstract

PURPOSE
We investigated the association between aging-induced apoptosis and cell proliferation in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of aged patients.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Twenty patients with osteoarthritis who underwent total knee replacement arthroplasty were enrolled in the study. They were divided into three groups according to age: group A (< or =65 years), group B (66-75 years), and group C (> or =76 years). The ACL tissue was obtained intraoperatively and subjected to terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling staining and immunohistochemistry to quantify the apoptosis and cell proliferation indices.
RESULTS
Apoptosis occurred in all groups, with the highest apoptosis index found in group C, followed by that in groups B and A. A statistically significant positive linear correlation was observed, with a 1-year increase in age resulting in an average increase of 1.49 in the apoptotic index. The lowest cell proliferation index was observed in group C, followed by that in group B and group A, with a 1-year increase in age resulting in an average decrease of 1.0 in the cell proliferation index, which was a statistically significant negative linear correlation. Consequently, a statistically significant negative correlation was confirmed between the apoptosis and cell proliferation indices, whereby an increase of 1.0 in the apoptosis index was concurrent with a decrease of 0.45 in the cell proliferation index.
CONCLUSION
Apoptosis occurred in the ACL of human knee joint. With increasing age, apoptosis increased and cell proliferation decreased.

Keyword

knee joint; anterior cruciate ligament; elderly; apoptosis; cell proliferation

MeSH Terms

Aged
Aging*
Anterior Cruciate Ligament*
Apoptosis*
Arthroplasty
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee
Cell Proliferation*
DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase
Humans*
Immunohistochemistry
Knee Joint*
Knee*
Osteoarthritis
DNA Nucleotidylexotransferase

Figure

• 

  Figure 1 Anterior cruciate ligament cells show expression of Fas (A) and FasL (B). In the downstream of the apoptosis pathway, caspase 8 (C), caspase 9 (D), and caspase 3 (E) are expressed. Arrows indicate positive ligament cells. Counterstaining method: Mayer's hematoxylin; ×400.

• 

  Figure 2 Immunohistochemical staining of Ki-67 protein (A) and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) (B) show positive ligament cells, indicated by arrows. Counterstaining method: hematoxylin for Ki-67 protein and methyl green for TUNEL; ×400.

• 

  Figure 3 Graph shows a positive correlation between age and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), a negative correlation between age and Ki-67, and a negative correlation between TUNEL and Ki-67.

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