Publications

Abstract The controversy surrounding the results from the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) trials published a decade ago caused a significant decline in the use of menopausal hormone replacement therapy. However, these results have been vehemently contested and several lines of evidence suggest that in perimenopausal and non-obese women, estrogen therapy may indeed be of benefit. […]

Abstract OBJECTIVE Joint health is affected by local and systemic hormones. It is well accepted that systemic factors regulate the metabolism of joint tissues, and that substantial cross-talk between tissues actively contributes to homeostasis. In the current review, we try to define a subtype of osteoarthritis (OA), metabolic OA, which is dependent on an unhealthy […]

Abstract BACKGROUND The proteoglycan biglycan (BGN) is involved in collagen fibril assembly and its fragmentation is likely to be associated with collagen turnover during the pathogenesis of diseases which involve dysregulated extracellular matrix remodeling (ECMR), such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and liver fibrosis. The scope of the present study was to develop a novel enzyme-linked […]

Abstract OBJECTIVE Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) has been considered a seronegative rheumatic disease based on absent or low levels of antibodies against citrullinated proteins. The present study was undertaken to evaluate whether a citrullinated and matrix metalloproteinase-degraded fragment of vimentin (VICM) could be a prognostic biomarker in AS. METHODS VICM was measured in serum samples from […]

Abstract BACKGROUND The skeletal muscle mass is the largest organ in the healthy body, comprising 30-40 % of the body weight of an adult man. It confers protection from trauma, locomotion, ventilation, and it represents a “sink” in glucose metabolism and a reservoir of amino acids to other tissues such as the brain and blood […]

Abstract Increased attention is paid to the structural components of tissues. These components are mostly collagens and various proteoglycans. Emerging evidence suggests that altered components and noncoded modifications of the matrix may be both initiators and drivers of disease, exemplified by excessive tissue remodeling leading to tissue stiffness, as well as by changes in the […]

Abstract BACKGROUND/AIM We investigated nine novel biomarkers of extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling in a rat model of liver fibrosis. METHODS Liver fibrosis was induced in 52 male Wistar rats by inhalation of carbon tetrachloride and the level of hepatic fibrosis was assessed by Sirius red staining compared with controls. The novel serum biochemical markers assessed […]

Abstract CONTEXT Treatment of osteoporosis with subcutaneous (SC) injections of rhPTH(1-34) or rhPTH(1-84) is associated with significant improvements in BMD and reductions in osteoporotic fractures. However, subcutaneous injections can be associated with discomfort and thus deteriorating compliance. OBJECTIVE The UGL-OR1001 trial aimed to establish the efficacy and safety parameters of a novel oral tablet formulation […]

Abstract Articular cartilage deterioration, which includes cartilage degradation and chondrocyte hypertrophy, is a hallmark of degenerative joint diseases (DJD). Chondrocyte hypertrophy is initiated in the deep layer of the cartilage; thus, a robust explants model for investigation of hypertrophy should include this zone. The aim of this study was to characterize and investigate the hypertrophy-promoting […]

Abstract Cancer is a heterogeneous disease and consequently an exact diagnosis is as important as the actual therapy. Therefore, identification of novel diagnostic biomarker targets is urgently needed. Physiological and pathological changes are reflected by post-translational modifications of proteins. Each post-translational modification (e.g., proteolytic cleavage) is the result of a specific local process and may […]