Collagen type IV could be found in the PCM of degenerative hyaline cartilage while laminin was consistently absent. Laminin, but not collagen type IV, was found in calcified cartilage from healthy and osteoarthritic joints, suggesting this molecule as an early marker for cartilage degeneration and/or chondrocyte dedifferentiation. Another argument for this is the loss of laminin in the PCM in OA cartilage and degenerated nucleus pulposus tissues