RESUMO
【Objective】 To study the major missing components of extracellular matrix in cartilage from Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) and osteoarthritis (OA). 【Methods】 The articular cartilage specimens discarded in clinical surgery were collected; paraffin sections were prepared; and HE staining, toluidine blue, and crocusin staining were used to semi-quantitatively analyze the differences in the content of extracellular matrix in cartilage from KBD and OA. 【Results】 The percentage of HE staining area in the normal group (NC group) (83.65±8.38)% was significantly higher than that in the primary osteoarthropathy group (OA group) (57.90±21.88)% and the KBD group (KBD group) (43.67±23.91)%. The stained area percentage of the OA group was higher than that of the KBD group (P=0.034). In the NC group (75.66±12.54)% of the saffron essence O stained area percentage was significantly higher than that of the OA group (53.81±10.48)% and the KBD group (62.07±14.66)%; the KBD group was higher than the OA group (P=0.011). No statistically significant difference in area percentage was found among the NC group, OA group and KBD group stained with toluidine blue (P>0.05). 【Conclusion】 The total loss of extracellular matrix of KBD cartilage tissue is more than that of OA cartilage. The loss of proteoglycan in OA articular cartilage is more serious than that in KBD cartilage, suggesting that the lost extracellular matrix of KBD cartilage tissue is mainly type 2 collagen.