Kaschin-Beck Disease (KBD)

Kashin–Beck disease (KBD) is a chronic, endemic type of osteochondropathy. KBD usually involves children ages 5–15. To date, more than a million individuals have suffered from KBD. The symptoms of KBD include joint pain, morning stiffness in the joints, disturbances of flexion and extension in the elbows, enlarged inter-phalangeal joints and limited motion in many joints of the body. Death of cartilage cells in the growth plate and articular surface is the basic pathologic feature; this can result in growth retardation and secondary osteoarthrosis. A model for rat Kashin-Beck disease induced by employing T-2 toxin treatment under selenium deficient conditions was established by researchers. Studies showed that increasing TBARS and decreasing antioxidants in serum and cartilage by T-2 toxin treatment with a selenium-deficient nutritional status may alter oxidative stress in joint tissues and contribute to the pathological process of cartilage damage in KBD.