Description
Inflammation is known to contribute to meniscus degeneration, but there is limited knowledge regarding a possible involvement of the innate immunity, particularly the complement system – our body’s first line of defense. Hence, the present study investigated whether the production of catabolic and inflammatory mediators, as well as terminal complement complex (TCC) deposition are associated with changes in the structural composition of the meniscus with age-associated degeneration. Overall, this work indicates that structural changes associated with inflammation and complement activation may be detectable at protein level before biomechanical alterations can be observed. The increase in TCC deposition with meniscus degeneration underlines the role of complement activation in osteoarthritis, being valuable for the identification of possible new therapeutic targets.
