Chondromodulin-II (ChM-II) is a cartilage-derived protein involved in cartilage and bone repair. A study of Japanese patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) implicated an association between a 172G --> A (Val58Ile) polymorphism and radiographic damage. We analyzed ChM-II for polymorphisms and investigated the association with radiographically assessed joint destruction in German patients with RA. Possible interactions with the shared epitope (SE) were examined.