Researchers from Duke University conducted a study on diagnosing osteoarthritis in the knee and found biomarkers in the blood that can predict the development of the condition.
The researchers also learned that the biomarker test can predict osteoarthritis up to eight years earlier than the condition can be detected by X-ray.
Osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease, can affect almost all joints.
While there is no cure for OA, researchers are looking for enhanced treatment and early detection of the disease.
Researchers from Duke University, North Carolina, recently studied blood serum from a group of women to see if they could identify blood biomarkers that indicate the development of the disease.
For the present study, they analyzed a group of women whose data was available via the Chingford 1,000 Women study which was designed to study musculoskeletal disease.
“Because osteoarthritis is incurable, any ability to predict the occurrence of this disease early in an individual could possibly help the future quality of lives for millions of people worldwide,” said Yoon.
“The development of a blood test for predicting knee osteoarthritis before structural damage appears on X-ray is very significant,” noted Gibson.
When someone has joint pain, X-rays are usually used to diagnose osteoarthritis, a common condition.
In a study on diagnosing osteoarthritis in the knee, researchers from Duke University discovered blood biomarkers that can foretell the onset of the illness.
The biomarker test can predict osteoarthritis up to eight years before an X-ray can reveal the condition, the researchers also discovered.
Almost all joints are susceptible to osteoarthritis (OA), a degenerative joint disease. In OA patients, pain results from the breakdown of the protective tissues in the joints.
Even though there isn’t a treatment for osteoarthritis (OA), researchers are working to improve treatment and identify the condition early. In an effort to find blood biomarkers that signal the onset of the disease, researchers from Duke University in North Carolina recently examined the serum from a group of women.
Researchers have discovered serum biomarkers that, according to the researchers, can reliably predict the onset of osteoarthritis (OA) in the knee and can do so well in advance of X-ray symptoms.
The research is published in Science Advances.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that roughly 20% of adult U.S. s. have arthritis, with the most prevalent type being OA.
Degradation of cartilage and other joint tissue leads to osteoarthritis (OA). As a result, the space between the bones is not as well protected, which leads to painful rubbing.
Age, obesity, genetics, and joint injury are among the risk factors for developing osteoarthritis (OA) listed by the CDC.
Though OA cannot be reversed, patients can slow down the disease’s progression with diet, exercise, and prescription drugs like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). These nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) include prescription medications like celecoxib (Celebrex) and over-the-counter medications like aspirin.
The current study’s authors noted that OA has become more prevalent globally and expressed a desire to concentrate more on OA early detection.
An X-ray will usually reveal that a person has degraded cartilage and is probably in pain by the time they are officially diagnosed with OA. The authors believe that some interventions could be implemented to prevent the disease from progressing as quickly if OA could be identified before the damage is done and it manifests on the X-ray.
Molecular biomarkers of osteoarthritis have been the focus of previous scientific endeavors. The Chingford 1,000 Women study, which was created to investigate musculoskeletal disorders, provided the data for the group of women that were examined in this study.
A cohort comprising 200 Caucasian women aged 45 to 65 was chosen by the researchers. Only females without a history of gout, rheumatoid arthritis, or knee injuries requiring at least a week of bed rest were taken into account by the scientists.
Women who developed osteoarthritis (OA) in their knees over the course of the 10-year follow-up period made up half of the group; the other half was the control group, which consisted of women who were matched for age and BMI (average of 26).
The women took part in the Chingford study over the years, contributing blood samples and X-ray readings.
Serum samples from years two and six of the study were tested by the researchers using a multiple reaction monitoring assay consisting of 165 peptides. They succeeded in reducing that set to as few as six biomarkers that were able to predict OA with consistency in all of the analyses.
The researchers were able to predict with accuracy the onset of OA using these biomarkers up to eight years before the condition manifested itself on X-ray imaging.
The discovery of sensitive biomarkers to detect osteoarthritis (OA) before overt structural damage develops “has the potential to greatly reduce the medical burden of disease,” the authors write.
The study authors point out that the biomarkers’ 77 percent accuracy rate in predicting the development of OA was better than that of predictions made by using knee pain (57 percent) or BMI (51 percent) as indicators of OA development.
It was also found by the scientists that the genes associated with these biomarkers were active in the knee joint’s synovium and cartilage, demonstrating their significance for comprehending osteoarthritis.
Notwithstanding some shortcomings, the study’s findings are encouraging. UTHealth Houston family medicine physician Abayomi Ogunwale, MD. MPH, assistant professor, pointed out certain flaws to Medical News Today.
Ogunwale clarified, “This study was designed as a case-control study, which does not provide the highest level of clinical research evidence due to biases inherent in the design.”. “The possibility of selection bias is one of these flaws. “.
Furthermore, there is no racial or gender diversity in the study.
Ogunwale noted, “The sample size is likewise small, and all participants are women.”. Generalizing the results to the heterogeneous population at risk of osteoarthritis in the knees—particularly men—will be challenging. “.
Steve Yoon, MD, a board-certified physiatrist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles and director of Clinical Regenerative Medicine, discussed the study with MNT.
Since osteoarthritis is an incurable condition, Yoon stated that any ability to identify the disease’s early onset in a person could potentially improve the quality of life for millions of people worldwide in the future.
Yoon noted that although the study’s results are encouraging, this kind of test will not be implemented right away.
Yoon advised that although these tests show promise, they probably won’t be accessible to the general public for some time. One of the best ways to live is to keep up a healthy lifestyle. Numerous studies have shown that a balanced diet and moderate exercise can both prevent and positively impact a wide range of diseases. “.
The medical director of the MemorialCare Joint Replacement Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California, Timothy Gibson, MD, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, also spoke with MNT. He also underlined how crucial the study’s conclusions are.
Noting that structural damage shows up on X-rays prior to the development of a blood test for knee osteoarthritis is highly significant, Gibson said. “The ability to potentially provide early intervention and potentially slow or halt the progression of the disease is made possible by the early identification of individuals at high risk of developing knee osteoarthritis. “.
Furthermore, Gibson mentioned that there are certain preventative measures one can take if they are at risk of developing osteoarthritis (OA), such as “controlling weight and maintaining or improving quadriceps and leg strength.”. “.
According to Gibson, “a joint reactive force causes the knee to feel the force of approximately four times body weight with each step.”. “The force across the knee with each step changes significantly even with a mere 10 pounds loss. “.
In the short run, this is not very significant for those who have osteoarthritis. It is encouraging, though, because it raises hopes for early detection, treatment, advancement, and fewer complications. “.
— Medical Doctor Abayomi Ogunwale.
According to Ogunwale, this kind of testing may have an effect on osteoarthritis treatment in the future.
“This advancement will lead to more accurate and non-radiologic osteoarthritis tests in the future, as well as hopefully the creation of treatments and biologic agents to halt the inflammatory process that precedes clinical symptoms,” he said.
