Oligomeric forms of the 148 kDa cartilage matrix protein

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein in systemic sclerosis.

Cartilage Oligomeric Matrix Protein (COMP): A Biomarker of Arthritis

Arthritis is a chronic disease with a significant impact on the population. It damages the cartilage, synovium, and bone of the joints causing pain, impairment, and disability in patients. Current methods for diagnosis of and monitoring the disease are only able to detect clinical manifestations of arthritis late in the process. However, with the recent onset of successful treatments for rheuma...

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein is a natural inhibitor of thrombin.

Thrombin is an effector enzyme for hemostasis and thrombosis; however, endogenous regulators of thrombin remain elusive. Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), a matricellular protein also known as thrombospondin-5, is essential for maintaining vascular homeostasis. Here, we asked whether COMP is involved in the process of blood coagulation. COMP deficiency shortened tail-bleeding and clot...

Interaction of cartilage oligomeric matrix protein/thrombospondin 5 with aggrecan.

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein/thrombospondin 5 (COMP/TSP5) is a major component of the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the musculoskeletal system. Its importance is underscored by its association with several growth disorders. In this report, we investigated its interaction with aggrecan, a major component of cartilage ECM. We also tested a COMP/TSP5 mutant, designated MUT3 that accounts fo...

Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein-induced complement activation in systemic sclerosis

INTRODUCTION Complexes between cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) and the complement activation product C3b have been found in the circulation of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus. In systemic sclerosis (SSc) COMP expression in the skin is upregulated both in lesional and non-lesional skin, which is also reflected in an increased amount of circulating C...