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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Oct 1.
Published in final edited form as: Int J Biochem Cell Biol. 2015 May 12;67:101–109. doi: 10.1016/j.biocel.2015.04.019

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Possible roles of epigenetic changes in the pathogenesis of OA. Under the accumulative effect of risk factors, chondrocytes undergo epigenetic events that result in aberrant expression of genes for specific transcription factors, cytokines, matrix-degrading proteinases, and ECM structural proteins in articular cartilage. Abnormal expression of these factors may disrupt the balance of catabolic and anabolic activities and compromise cartilage homeostasis, leading to articular cartilage degradation and the development of OA.