Connective Tissues, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1974 Biochemistry and Pathophysiology

connective tissues are essential for the physical functioning of the animals's body. The condition of the various connective tissues is governed by biochemical factors, anabolism and catabolism, that are controlled by specific enzymes. Any change outside the normal range of metabolism, for instance induced by immunological reactions, may induce a pathological disturbance. The result can be acute or chronic inflammation, or loss of normal function, expressed in loosening, dilatation, breaking, wear, stiffness, shrinking, scars, stenosis, and cirrhosis or any other kind of fibrosis. A first step toward improving our understanding of the feedback mecha­ nism that maintains the biological status and texture of a given connective tissue is to combine what is known about synthesis and enzymatic degradation of the components of fibers and ground substance. Common pathological phenomena like chronic inflammation of immune reactions can be either the result of the cause of disturbances in the sensitive balance of connective tissue metabolism. Nowadays con­ nective tissues are less and less regarded as brady trophic tissue but rather as a stimulating and many-sided problem of research. Before we can understand the pathogenesis of the connective tissue diseases that result in the destructive processes mentioned above, basic research will be necessary. This research will be furthered by a constant exchange of information and the results of· observations. To promote this exchange of information between scientists, symposia on connective tissue research are organized at regular intervals.

Table of Contants.- I. Structure.- Metabolie Heterogeneity of Acidic Glycosaminoglycans in Bovine Arterial Tissue.- Chemical and Molecular Heterogeneity of Cartilage Proteoglycans.- Proteochondroitin Sulfates, Chemical and Metabolic Heterogeneity, Immunology and Biosynthesis.- Isolation of Corneal Keratan-Chondroproteoglycans and Their Composition.- Glycopeptide Pattern of the Polymeric Macromolecular Complex of the Stroma Layers and of the Endothelial Basement Membrane (Descemet’s Membrane) of the Embryonic and Postnatal Calf Cornea.- The Chemistry of Glycoproteins at the Surfaces of Tumor Cells.- The Relationship between Chemical Structure and Fibrogenic Character of Glycosaminoglycans.- Periodate Sensitivity of Cross-Links of Mature Collagen.- Variations in the Diameter of Collagen Fibrils, Bound Hexose and Associated Glycoproteins in the Intervertebral Disc.- II. Synthesis.- Biosynthesis of Connective Tissue Proteoglycans.- Synthesis of Sulfated Glycosaminoglycans by Cultured Cells, with Particular Reference to the Mouse Fibroblast Line 3T6.- The Subcellular Site of the Biosynthesis of N-Glycolyl- and N-Acetyl-O-Acetylneuraminic Acid Components of Porcine, Bovine and Equine Submaxillary Gland Glycoproteins.- N-Acetyl-Hydroxylation in the Biosynthesis of Glycoproteins.- Biosynthesis of Collagen.- Studies on Collagen Synthesis Applying Labelled Proline.- III. Degradation.- Mammalian Enzymes Degrading Glycosaminoglycans.- The Production and Use of Water-Insoluble Derivatives of Enzymes.- The Enzymatic Degradation of Proteoglycans.- Lysosomal Enzymes and Proteoglycan Degradation in the Human Intervertebral Disc.- Studies on Lysosomal Proteoglycan Degradation.- Action of Mammalian Collagenases.- The Mechanism of Collagen Decomposition in Mammals.- Studies on Collagen Peptidases.- Degradation of Insoluble Collagen and other Proteins by Rat Leucocytes.- Enzymatic Degradation of the “Collagen-Like-Protein” in Blood Serum.- Sequential Degradation and Phagocytosis of Heterologous Elastin.- IV. Immunobiology.- Immunobiology of Glycoproteins.- Immunological Properties of Ovine Submaxillary Glycoproteins.- The Distribution of Antigenic Determinants in Collagen as Determined by a Radioimmunoassay.- Antigenicity of Soluble Collagen Fractions of Different Species.- V. Pathophysiology.- Questions of Medicine to Molecular Biology of Connective Tissues.- Structural Glycoproteins of Connective Tissue: Their Role in Morphogenesis and Immunopathology.- Experimental Chronic Arthritis in Pigs after a Single Intraarticular Injection of Heterologous Proteoglycans.- Hyaluronidase Activity in Lysosomes and Extracellular Fluid of Tumor Cells.- Clinical and Experimental Investigations on the Metabolism of Collagen, Ground Substance, and Mesenchymal Cells.- Collagen Maturation in Granulation Tissue.- A Negative Role for Collagenase in Observed Differences between Human Normal and Rheumatoid Polymeric Collagens.- The Possible Role of Cross-Linking of Collagen in Rheumatoid Arthritis.- Studies on Collagen Biosynthesis in Rheumatoid Synovial Tissue.- Changes in Skin Collagen in Osteoporosis.- Collagen and Elastin Metabolism in Scurvy: Studies on the Nature of the Collagen Lesion.