Disruption of proteoglycan 4 (PRG4)-CD44 signaling modulates chronic synovitis in conditionally inactivated mice
Authors' conclusion
CD44 loss abrogated chronic synovitis observed following PRG4 loss. Dysfunction in PRG4 signaling, demonstrated by lower tissue levels of PRG4 along with higher CD44, XO and HIF-1α, was associated with high-grade synovitis.
Study context
- Population
- Transgenic mice treated at 4 weeks old (4–6 animals with 2–3 males per group); synovial tissues from osteoarthritis (OA) patients undergoing knee arthroplasty
- Participants
- 9 OA patients
- Comparison
- Prg4 inactivation (Prg4Off) vs corn oil (Prg4On) in Cd44+/+ and Cd44-/- mice; high-grade vs low-grade synovitis in OA synovial tissue
- Outcome
- XO and HIF-1α staining and synovial pathology after Prg4 inactivation; Synovial macrophage (SM) activation (proton efflux rate (PER)) and HIF-1α levels
Methodological detailsconditional knockout mice (tamoxifen-inducible Prg4 inactivation), Cd44-/- cross, human OA synovial tissue analysis
- Conditional knockout mice (tamoxifen-inducible Prg4 inactivation)
- Cd44-/- cross
- Human OA synovial tissue analysis
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
- CD44 deficiency reduced xanthine oxidase (XO) and HIF-1α staining and synovial pathology following Prg4 inactivation
- p < 0.05
Parts of this Brief are withheld: the automatic checks could not confirm them against the abstract.
Original publication
Disruption of proteoglycan 4 (PRG4)-CD44 signaling modulates chronic synovitis in conditionally inactivated mice. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 19 February 2026. doi:10.
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