Urinary collagen crosslinks to monitor bone and cartilage degradation in collagen-induced arthritis in rhesus monkeys

Abstract

Pyridinoline crosslinks are present in collagen proteins in mature bone and cartilage. Articular cartilage contains exclusively the crosslink hydroxylysylpyridinoline (HP). In bone, HP as well as lysylpyridinoline (LP) are present in a characteristic three to one ratio. Degradation of mature bone matrix results in the excretion of pyridinoline crosslinks in urine. Typically, HP and LP are excreted in urine in a ratio of about three. As such, these crosslinks (and in particular LP) present the best available biochemical markers of bone resorption.