Smoking and osteoarthritis: differential effect of nicotine on human chondrocyte glycosaminoglycan and collagen synthesis.

Anecdotal suggestions and retrospective studies indicate an inverse relationship between the incidence of osteoarthritis and individuals who smoke. As a possible explanation, our studies confirm that nicotine upregulates glycosaminoglycan and collagen synthetic activity of articular chondrocytes at physiological levels seen in individuals who smoke.