Background: Both acute and chronic Achilles tendon ruptures are affected by alterations in the extracellular matrix during the healing process of the tendon. Yet, these alterations in gene expression patterns are not well characterized.
Purpose: To characterize temporal and spatial differences in gene expression patterns after an Achilles tendon rupture and to evaluate if cells from chronic Achilles tendon ruptures have the same ability to form new tendon tissue (tendon constructs) as healthy tendon cells.
Study design: Controlled laboratory study.
Methods: A total of 35 patients with surgically treated Achilles tendon ruptures were included in the study and divided into 3 groups: acute (<4 weeks), short-term chronic (1-6 months), and long-term chronic (>6 months). Biopsy specimens were collected during surgical repair and were used to analyze the gene expression within the different groups and to compare mRNA levels in the proximal and distal tendon ends. A complementary in vitro experiment was performed to evaluate if cells from chronic Achilles tendon ruptures can form tendon constructs.
Results: The mRNA levels for COL1A1 and COL3A1 were significantly higher in the short-term chronic group compared with the acute group (P < .05). Both MMP-1 and MMP-13 had the highest mRNA levels in the acute group (P < .01) compared with the long-term chronic group, while MMP-2 had the highest mRNA level in the short-term chronic group. Significant differences between the proximal and distal tendon ends were only detected for the monocyte and macrophage marker CD163 (P < .05), which was more expressed proximally. Cells extracted from chronic Achilles tendon ruptures displayed a similar ability and effectiveness to form tendon constructs as healthy tendon cells.
Conclusion: A high collagenase gene activity after an Achilles tendon rupture indicated possible rapid matrix degradation in the acute phase. Chronic ruptures appeared to initiate the healing process even before treatment, indicated by the higher expression of collagen in the short-term chronic group. Cells from chronic Achilles tendon ruptures also displayed an ability to form new tendon tissue in vitro.
Clinical relevance: The study shows a rapid increase in collagenase gene expression, which could lead to matrix degradation that continues for months after an Achilles tendon rupture.
Keywords: Achilles tendon rupture; RT-PCR; chronic Achilles tendon rupture; gene expression; mRNA levels; tissue samples.