Ley Charles J, M Strage Emma, Stadig Sarah M, von Brömssen Claudia, Olsson Ulf, Bergh Anna, Ley Cecilia
Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7054, Uppsala, SE-750 07, Sweden.
Department of Energy and Technology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7032, Uppsala, SE-750 07, Sweden.
BMC Vet Res. 2025 Feb 25;21(1):103. doi: 10.1186/s12917-025-04536-y.
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common, age-related joint disease in cats. The common finding of bilateral symmetric joint involvement may suggest influence from systemic factors, and could imply that body parameters such as excess body fat and cat size are important for OA development. We aimed to investigate associations between body composition and whole-body OA scores in 72 cats, using whole-body computed tomography (CT), and if serum concentrations of the metabolic mediators leptin, adiponectin and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) reflected the total OA load. In addition, associations between body composition and metabolic mediators were determined. For data analyses, cats were grouped as smaller or larger according to the median value of the total body bone volume (body size), and as leaner or fatter cats according to the median of the total body fat volumes normalized for body size (nBFV).
Computed tomography-detected OA changes were present in 94% of cats. In appendicular joints, OA was most commonly detected in hip joints followed by elbow, stifle, carpal, tarsal and shoulder joints, whereas in axial joints, OA was most commonly detected in the thoracic region. Groupwise comparisons showed that whole-body OA scores were higher for fatter compared to leaner cats (p = 0.012), and larger fatter cats had higher whole-body OA scores compared to smaller leaner cats (p = 0.021). Whole-body OA scores were associated with IGF-1 concentrations (p = 0.0051). Leptin concentrations were strongly associated with nBFV (p < 0.0001), whereas IGF-1 concentrations were weakly associated with total body bone volumes (p = 0.0134). Individual joint region OA scores were higher in carpal, elbow, stifle and hip joints in fatter cats, in carpal joints in larger and larger fatter cats, in elbow joints in larger leaner cats, and in stifle joints in smaller fatter cats.
In cats, increased body fat is a risk factor for having a higher load of OA, particularly in carpal, elbow, stifle and hip joints. Increased body size is additionally a risk factor for having carpal OA. The total OA load is reflected in serum IGF-1 concentrations, but underlying mechanisms for this association are unclear.
骨关节炎（OA）是猫常见的与年龄相关的关节疾病。双侧对称关节受累这一常见发现可能提示受到全身因素的影响，这可能意味着诸如体脂过多和猫的体型等身体参数对OA的发展很重要。我们旨在使用全身计算机断层扫描（CT）研究72只猫的身体成分与全身OA评分之间的关联，以及代谢介质瘦素、脂联素和胰岛素样生长因子-1（IGF-1）的血清浓度是否反映了总的OA负荷。此外，还确定了身体成分与代谢介质之间的关联。为了进行数据分析，根据全身骨体积（体型）的中位数将猫分为较小或较大，根据体型标准化后的全身脂肪体积（nBFV）的中位数将猫分为较瘦或较胖。
94%的猫存在CT检测到的OA变化。在附肢关节中，OA最常见于髋关节，其次是肘部、 stifle关节、腕关节、跗关节和肩关节，而在轴关节中，OA最常见于胸部区域。分组比较显示，较胖的猫与较瘦的猫相比，全身OA评分更高（p = 0.012），体型较大且较胖的猫与体型较小且较瘦的猫相比，全身OA评分更高（p = 0.021）。全身OA评分与IGF-1浓度相关（p = 0.0051）。瘦素浓度与nBFV密切相关（p < 0.0001），而IGF-1浓度与全身骨体积弱相关（p = 0.0134）。较胖的猫在腕关节、肘部、stifle关节和髋关节的单个关节区域OA评分更高，体型较大且较胖的猫在腕关节的OA评分更高，体型较大且较瘦的猫在肘关节的OA评分更高，体型较小且较胖的猫在stifle关节的OA评分更高。
在猫中，体脂增加是OA负荷较高的危险因素，特别是在腕关节、肘部、stifle关节和髋关节。体型增大也是腕关节OA的危险因素。总的OA负荷反映在血清IGF-1浓度中，但这种关联的潜在机制尚不清楚。
