New Biomarkers Could Change the Future of Osteoarthritis Detection

When someone develops Osteoarthritis (OA), the protective tissues in their joints break down, causing pain. Even though there is no cure for OA, some researchers are looking for another treatment and early detection of the disease. The researchers found serum biomarkers that they say can accurately predict OA in the knee and can predict it well before the disease shows up on X-rays. 

According to a study published in Science Advances, OA occurs when cartilage and other tissue within joints begin to degrade. Researchers say that OA is irreversible, but some people can slow its progression through weight loss and medications like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The authors of this study say that there has been a rise in OA worldwide due to an increase in sedentary lifestyles. 

Authors also say that by the time someone is diagnosed with OA via X-ray, there is already a degradation within their cartilage, and these people are most likely experiencing pain. If it were possible to detect OA before the damage is done and it shows up on the X-ray, the authors think it would be possible to introduce some interventions to keep the disease from progressing as quickly. 

The scientists have worked on developing molecular biomarkers of OA in the past. For the present study, they analyzed a group of women whose data was available via the Chingford 1,000 Women study, designed to study musculoskeletal disease. 

Two hundred white women between the ages of 45 and 65 were selected, and sciences only considered women who did not report a history of rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or knee injury. Half of the group included women who developed OA in their knees over the ten years of follow-up, and the other half was the control group, with women matched by age and BMI (26 on average). Throughout the years, the women participated in the Chingford study and provided blood samples and X-ray readings. 

The researchers used a multiple reaction monitoring assay of 165 peptides to test the serum samples from years 2 and 6 of the study. From that set, they could narrow it down to as few as six biomarkers that consistently predicted OA across all analyses. Scientists predicted the development of OA as early as eight years before the condition showed up on X-ray imaging. 

The biomarkers predicted OA development with a 77% accuracy, which the study authors note was superior to predictions using BMI (51%) or knee pain (57%) to develop OA. The scientists also discovered that the genes linked to these biomarkers were active in the cartilage and synovium of the knee joint, indicating their importance in understanding OA. 

Since osteoarthritis is incurable, any ability to predict the occurrence of this disease early in an individual could help the future quality of life for millions worldwide. Tests like these are promising but are not likely to be available for public use for a while. Researchers suggest that one of the best ways to approach life is to continue engaging in healthy living—optimizing diet and moderate exercise has been linked in many scientific studies to help prevent and positively affect many diseases.