High levels of synovial fluid osteoprotegerin (OPG) and increased serum ratio of receptor activator of nuclear factor-kappa B ligand (RANKL) to OPG correlate with disease severity in patients with primary knee osteoarthritis.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of serum and synovial fluid OPG and sRANKL in 37 patients with primary knee osteoarthritis.


METHODS
OPG and sRANKL were measured using ELISA.


RESULTS
OPG, sRANKL and sRANKL/OPG were increased in osteoarthritis patients' serum. Synovial OPG was higher than serum OPG, while sRANKL/OPG was higher in the serum; both correlated with disease severity.


CONCLUSIONS
RANKL/OPG pathway is implicated in the pathogenesis of knee osteoarthritis being a suitable target for therapeutic intervention.
Pilichou
Anastasia
A
Second Department of Orthopaedics, University of Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
Papassotiriou
Ioannis
I
Michalakakou
Kelly
K
Fessatou
Smaragdi
S
Fandridis
Emmanuel
E
Papachristou
George
G
Terpos
Evangelos
E
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism; D053244:Osteoprotegerin / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D053245:RANK Ligand / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D011859:Radiography; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B / Q000378:metabolism*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*
D015415:Biomarkers; D053244:Osteoprotegerin; D053245:RANK Ligand; D053246:Receptor Activator of Nuclear Factor-kappa B