Serum hsa_circ_101178 as a Potential Biomarker for Early Prediction of Osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND

Early detection and treatment are of great importance in the management of osteoarthritis (OA). The current study aims to evaluate the relationship between serum circRNA hsa_circ_101178 and the severity of OA.

METHODS

Western Ontario McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain scores and Kellgren-Lawrence (KL) grading system were used to evaluate the symptomatic and radiological severity of OA patients. RT-PCR was carried out to explore the level of hsa_circ_101178 in serum and synovial fluid (SF) of OA patients. Spearman's correlation assay was used to analyze the correlation between serum hsa_circ_101178 and WOMAC score or KL grading. The diagnostic value of serum hsa_circ_101178 was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves.

RESULTS

Serum and SF hsa_circ_101178 levels were significantly higher in OA patients than those in controls. Further study showed a positive correlation between serum and SF hsa_circ_101178 levels. Moreover, serum hsa_circ_101178 were positively correlated with the severity of OA according to KL grading. Meanwhile, serum hsa_circ_101178 was also positively correlated with WOMAC-pain scores. ROC analysis showed the AUC of serum hsa_circ_101178 was 0.835 in screening OA patients from controls.

CONCLUSIONS

Upregulation of serum hsa_circ_101178 may play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of OA and can be a useful biomarker for early diagnosis of OA.