Department of Orthopaedics; Department of Center for Stem Cell Research, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Department of Orthopaedics, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
Indian J Med Res. 2019 May;149(5):650-655. doi: 10.4103/ijmr.IJMR_1233_17.
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES: Articular cartilage defects in the knee have a very poor capacity for repair due to avascularity. Autologous chondrocyte transplantation (ACT) is an established treatment for articular cartilage defects. Animal studies have shown promising results with allogenic chondrocyte transplantation since articular cartilage is non-immunogenic. In addition to being economical, allogenic transplantation has less morbidity compared to ACT. This study was undertaken to compare ACT with allogenic chondrocyte transplantation in the treatment of experimentally created articular cartilage defects in rabbit knee joints.
Cartilage was harvested from the left knee joints of six New Zealand white rabbits (R1-R6). The harvested chondrocytes were cultured to confluence and transplanted onto a 3.5 mm chondral defect in the right knees of 12 rabbits [autologous in 6 rabbits (R1-R6) and allogenic in 6 rabbits (R7-R12)]. After 12 wk, the rabbits were euthanized and histological evaluation of the right knee joints were done with hematoxylin and eosin and safranin O staining. Quality of the repair tissue was assessed by the modified Wakitani histological grading scale.
Both autologous and allogenic chondrocyte transplantation resulted in the regeneration of hyaline/mixed hyaline cartilage. The total histological scores between the two groups showed no significant difference.
INTERPRETATION & CONCLUSIONS: Allogenic chondrocyte transplantation seems to be as effective as ACT in cartilage regeneration, with the added advantages of increased cell availability and reduced morbidity of a single surgery.
由于膝关节软骨缺乏血液供应，其自我修复能力非常有限。自体软骨细胞移植（ACT）是治疗关节软骨缺损的一种成熟方法。动物研究表明，同种异体软骨细胞移植具有良好的效果，因为关节软骨是非免疫原性的。与 ACT 相比，同种异体移植除了经济实惠外，其发病率也较低。本研究旨在比较 ACT 与同种异体软骨细胞移植治疗兔膝关节实验性关节软骨缺损的疗效。
从 6 只新西兰白兔（R1-R6）的左膝关节中采集软骨。收获的软骨细胞培养至汇合后，移植到 12 只兔子（R7-R12）右膝关节的 3.5mm 软骨缺损处。12 周后，处死兔子，对右膝关节进行苏木精-伊红和番红 O 染色的组织学评估。通过改良的 Wakitani 组织学分级量表评估修复组织的质量。
自体和同种异体软骨细胞移植均导致透明软骨/混合透明软骨的再生。两组间的总组织学评分无显著差异。
同种异体软骨细胞移植似乎与 ACT 一样有效，可促进软骨再生，且具有增加细胞可用性和减少单次手术发病率的优势。
