Immunofluorescent Studies of Human Articular Cartilage

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Abstract
Antisera were prepared in rabbits to the proteinpolysaccharides of human articular cartilage. With these antisera an indirect immunofluorescent technique was used to study the distribution of the proteinpolysaccharides in sections of articular cartilage. In normal articular cartilage the fluorescent staining of the matrix was restrictively localized to the perilacunar region of the matrix, and had a characteristic spindle -shaped pattern in the superficial zone. In the superficial zone of osteo-arthritic cartilage the fluorescent staining of the matrix was much more diffuse and intense. The areas with Intense fluorescent staining showed a marked loss of metachromatic staining. The changes seen in osteo-arthritic cartilage can be simulated in vitro by incubation of normal cartilage with testicular hyaluronidase, papain (10 min.), and lysosomal enzymes.