Objective.　Kashin-Beck　disease　(KBD)　is　a　chronic,　endemic　osteochondropathy　principally　occurring　in　children.　We　investigated　apoptotic　chondrocyte　death　and　the　expression　of　Bcl-2,　Bax,　Fas,　and　inducible　nitric　oxide　synthase　(iNOS)　in　articular　cartilage　from　patients　with　KBD　in　order　to　determine　the　pathogenesis　of　chondronecrosis　in　KBD.　Methods.　Samples　of　articular　cartilage　were　divided　into　2　groups:　control　children　(15　samples　from　15　cases),　and　children　with　KBD　(15　samples　from　15　cases).　KBD　patients　were　diagnosed　according　to　＂Pathological　Criteria　to　Diagnose　KBD　in　China.＂　Chondrocyte　apoptosis　was　detected　by　TUNEL　staining,　and　Bcl-2,　Bax,　Fas,　and　iNOS-positive　articular　chondrocytes　were　stained　by　immunohistochemistry.　Articular　cartilage　was　classified　in　3　zones,　and　positive　findings　were　counted　by　light　microscopy　for　cytoplasmic　staining　by　polyclonal　antibodies　of　Bcl-2,　Bax,　Fas,　and　iNOS　and　apoptotic　chondrocytes　by　TUNEL.　Results.　The　percentage　of　positive　apoptotic　chondrocytes　stained　by　TUNEL　in　the　middle　zone　of　articular　cartilage　from　the　KBD　patient　group　(33.60%　+/-　2.71%)　was　higher　than　that　of　controls　(1.33%　+/-　0.41%;　p　＜　0.01).　The　percentages　of　chondrocytes　staining　for　Bcl-2,　Bax,　Fas,　and　iNOS　in　KBD　patients　were　significantly　higher　than　in　controls　(p　＜　0.01);　the　remarkable　difference　in　Bcl-2,　Bax,　Fas,　and　iNOS　expression　among　the　upper,　middle,　and　deep　cartilage　zones　was　also　seen　in　KBD　articular　cartilage　(p　＜　0.01);　and　staining　for　Bcl-2,　Bax,　Fas,　and　iNOS　in　KBD　patients　was　prominent　in　the　upper　zone　(41.93%　+/-　12.26%,　45.60%　+/-　15.78%,　53.60%　+/-　16.49%,　45.47%　+/-　14.02%,　respectively)　and　the　middle　zone　(14.93%　+/-　3.50%,　13.87%　+/-　4.32%,　23.27%　+/-　4.83%,　21.67%　+/-　6.82%)　of　articular　cartilage.　Conclusion.　The　apoptotic　chondrocytes　and　Bcl-2,　Bax,　Fas,　and　iNOS-positive　chondrocytes　were　significantly　more　numerous　in　patients　with　KBD　than　in　controls.