Department of Morphological Studies, Adelson School of Medicine, Ariel University, Ariel 40700, Israel.
Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv 6905126, Israel.
Biomolecules. 2023 Aug 28;13(9):1315. doi: 10.3390/biom13091315.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common progressive, age-dependent chronic degenerative joint diseases. KOA often develops as a result of a gradual articular cartilage loss caused by its wear and tear. Numerous studies suggest that the degradation of the knee joint involves inflammatory components. This process is also associated with body composition, particularly being overweight and muscle mass loss. The present study aimed to search for novel circulating KOA inflammatory biomarkers, taking into account body composition characteristics. To this aim, we recruited 98 patients diagnosed and radiologically confirmed with KOA and 519 healthy controls from the Arab community in Israel. A panel of soluble molecules, related to inflammatory, metabolic, and musculoskeletal disorders, was measured by ELISA in plasma samples, while several body composition parameters were assessed with bioimpedance analysis. Statistical analysis, including multivariable logistic regression, revealed a number of the factors significantly associated with KOA, independently of age and sex. The most significant independent associations [OR (95% CI)] were fat body mass/body weight index-1.56 (1.20-2.02), systemic immune-inflammation index-4.03 (2.23-7.27), circulating vaspin levels-1.39 (1.15-1.68), follistatin/FSTL1 ratio-1.32 (1.02-1.70), and activin A/FSTL1 ratio-1.33 (1.01-1.75). Further clinical studies are warranted to confirm the relevance of these KOA-associated biological factors. Hereafter, they could serve as reliable biomarkers for KOA in the general human population.
膝骨关节炎（KOA）是最常见的进行性、年龄相关的慢性退行性关节疾病之一。KOA 通常是由于关节软骨逐渐磨损引起的。许多研究表明，膝关节的退化涉及炎症成分。这个过程也与身体成分有关，尤其是超重和肌肉质量的损失。本研究旨在寻找新的循环 KOA 炎症生物标志物，同时考虑身体成分特征。为此，我们从以色列的阿拉伯社区招募了 98 名经诊断和影像学证实患有 KOA 的患者和 519 名健康对照者。通过 ELISA 在血浆样本中测量了一组与炎症、代谢和肌肉骨骼疾病相关的可溶性分子，同时使用生物阻抗分析评估了几种身体成分参数。统计分析，包括多变量逻辑回归，揭示了许多与 KOA 显著相关的因素，这些因素独立于年龄和性别。最显著的独立关联 [OR（95%CI）] 是脂肪体重/体重指数 1.56（1.20-2.02）、全身免疫炎症指数 4.03（2.23-7.27）、循环 vaspin 水平 1.39（1.15-1.68）、卵泡抑素/FSTL1 比值 1.32（1.02-1.70）和激活素 A/FSTL1 比值 1.33（1.01-1.75）。需要进一步的临床研究来证实这些与 KOA 相关的生物学因素的相关性。此后，它们可以作为一般人群中 KOA 的可靠生物标志物。
