This gene encodes a secreted, 16 kDa protein that acts as a chemotactic factor to neutrophils and stimulates the growth of chondrocytes and osteoblasts. This protein has high sequence similarity to the chondromodulin repeat regions of the chicken myb-induced myeloid 1 protein. A polymorphism in this gene may be associated with rheumatoid arthritis. [provided by RefSeq, Jul 2008].