We transfected these contructs into the COS-1 or MCT cells, and the results revealed that the HOA-related matrilin-3 mutation (T298M) leads to a high expression level of growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene 153 (GADD153, also known as CHOP; an endoplasmic reticulum stress marker), as shown by western blot analysis and does not significantly affect protein secretion, as shown by immunofluorescence staining; however, osteochondroplasia, i.e., MED-related (R116W) and SEMD-related (C299S) mutations lead to both high levels of GADD153 expression and protein trafficking into the cytoplasm and form multiple vacuoles in cells, which in turn leads to insufficient protein secretion.
The T303M polymorphism of the MATN3 gene, which was initially described as associated with hand osteoarthritis, may be more closely linked to trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis than to digital osteoarthritis.
Patients carrying the T(303)M mutation in the gene for matrilin-3 express a form of HOA that is radiologically indistinguishable from idiopathic HOA in individual patients but they have more severe thumb-base involvement, particularly in the STT joint.