Roles of glycoprotein glycosylation in the pathogenesis of an endemic osteoarthritis, Kashin–Beck disease, and effectiveness evaluation of sodium hyaluronate treatment

Abstract

Background/aim: We aimed to explore the roles of glycoprotein glycosylation in the pathogenesis of Kashin–Beck disease (KBD), andevaluated the effectiveness of sodium hyaluronate treatment.Materials and methods: Blood and saliva were collected from KBD patients before and after the injection of sodium hyaluronate. Normalhealthy subjects were included as controls. Saliva and serum lectin microarrays and saliva and serum microarray verifications were usedto screen and confirm the differences in lectin levels among the three groups.Results: In saliva lectin microarray, bindings to Sophora japonica agglutinin (SJA), Griffonia (Bandeiraea) simplicifolia lectin I (GSL-I),Euonymus europaeus lectin (EEL), Maackia amurensis lectin II (MAL-II), Sambucus nigra lectin (SNA), Hippeastrum hybrid lectin(HHL), and Aleuria aurantia lectin (AAL) were higher in the untreated KBD patients than in the control group. Increased levels ofHHL, MAL-II, and GSL-I in the untreated KBD patients discriminated them in particular from the treated ones. Jacalin was lower inthe untreated KBD patients compared to the treated KBD and control groups. In serum lectin microarray, HHL and peanut agglutinin(PNA) were increased in the untreated KBD group in comparison to the control one. AAL, Phaseolus vulgaris agglutinin (E+L) (PHAE+L), and Psophocarpus tetragonolobus lectin I (PTL-I) were lower in the untreated KBD patients compared to the treated KBD andcontrol groups. Hyaluronate treatment appeared to normalize SNA, AAL, and MAL-II levels in saliva, and HHL, PNA, AAL, PTL-I,and PHA-E+L levels in serum. Saliva reversed microarray verification confirmed significant differences between the groups in SNA andJacalin, in particular for GSL-I levels, while serum reversed microarray verification indicated that HHL, PNA, and AAL levels returnedto normal levels after the hyaluronate treatment. Lectin blot confirmed significant differences in HHL, AAL, and Jacalin in saliva, andHHL, PNA, PHA-E+L, and AAL in serum.Conclusion: HHL in saliva and serum may be a valuable diagnostic biomarker of KBD, and it may be used as follow-up for thehyaluronate treatment.