Alarmins (also known as danger signals) are endogenous molecules that are released to the extracellular milieu after infection or tissue damage. Extracellular alarmins interact with specific receptors expressed by cells that are engaged in host defence to stimulate signalling pathways that result in initiation of innate and adaptive immune responses, triggering inflammation or tissue repair. Alarmins are considered to be markers of destructive processes that occur in degenerative joint diseases (primarily osteoarthritis (OA)) and chronic inflammatory joint diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and spondylarthropathy). In OA, high mobility group protein B1 (HMGB1) and S100 proteins, along with many other alarmins, are abundantly secreted by joint cells, promoting cartilage matrix catabolism, osteophyte formation, angiogenesis and hypertrophic differentiation. The involvement of alarmins in chronic inflammatory arthritides is suggested by their presence in serum at high levels in these conditions, and their expression within inflamed synovia and synovial fluid. S100 proteins, HMGB1, IL-33 and other endogenous molecules have deleterious effects on joints, and can recruit immune cells such as dendritic cells to inflamed synovia, initiating the adaptive immune response and perpetuating disease. Improving our understanding of the pathological mechanisms associated with these danger signals is important to enable the targeting of new therapeutic approaches for arthritis.

Osteoarthritis is a whole-joint disease characterized by the progressive destruction of articular cartilage involving abnormal communication between subchondral bone and cartilage. Our team previously identified 14-3-3ε protein as a subchondral bone soluble mediator altering cartilage homeostasis. The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of CD13 (also known as aminopeptidase N, APN) in the chondrocyte response to 14-3-3ε. After identifying CD13 in chondrocytes, we knocked down CD13 with small interfering RNA (siRNA) and blocking antibodies in articular chondrocytes. 14-3-3ε-induced MMP-3 and MMP-13 was significantly reduced with CD13 knockdown, which suggests that it has a crucial role in 14-3-3ε signal transduction. Aminopeptidase N activity was identified in chondrocytes, but the activity was unchanged after stimulation with 14-3-3ε. Direct interaction between CD13 and 14-3-3ε was then demonstrated by surface plasmon resonance. Using labeled 14-3-3ε, we also found that 14-3-3ε binds to the surface of chondrocytes in a manner that is dependent on CD13. Taken together, these results suggest that 14-3-3ε might directly bind to CD13, which transmits its signal in chondrocytes to induce a catabolic phenotype similar to that observed in osteoarthritis. The 14-3-3ε–CD13 interaction could be a new therapeutic target in osteoarthritis.