The structure of aggrecan fragments in human synovial fluid. Evidence for the involvement in osteoarthritis of a novel proteinase which cleaves the Glu 373-Ala 374 bond of the interglobular domain.

Synovial fluid was collected from patients with recent knee injury and from patients with early or late stage osteoarthritis. Chondroitin sulfate-substituted aggrecan fragments present in these fluids, and in normal bovine synovial fluid, were purified by cesium chloride gradient centrifugation, enz... View More