Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative disorder characterized by chronic joint pain, structural deterioration and functional impairment and affecting of daily living. Increasing evidence suggests that inflammatory mediators contribute substantially to disease initiation and progression. This case - control study included 65 patients with knee osteoarthritis aged of 40 to 76 years, and 65 age-matched healthy controls. OA disease diagnosis and severity of disease were determined using American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and Kellegren – Lwrence (K-L) radiographic grading. Severity of pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). Blood samples were collected after informed consent; serum was separated and stored at -80ᵒc till further analysis. Serum concentration of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I and II (CTX-I & II) collagen were measured by ELISA technique. All 65 cases were classified according K-L grading. Patients with KOA showed moderately higher body weight, BMI compared to controls. Serum IL-6 and CTX-I were significantly enhanced in cases relative to controls. A consecutive increase in mean IL-6 levels across all four grades of KOA. The outcome shows positive correlation between osteoarthritis grades and IL-6 and other pro-inflammatory cytokines. The research provides an extensive profile of synovial pro-inflammatory mediators in KOA. IL-6 and CTX-I showed potential clinical relevance as prognostic indicators of disease severity. The intervention marks strong association between pro-inflammatory markers and KOA pathophysiology.
Keywords: Cytokines, Inflammatory markers, CTX-I & II, Osteoarthritis