title: No association between markers of inflammation and osteoarthritis of the hands and knees.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Local inflammation plays a prominent role in osteoarthritis (OA). This could be reflected in the presence of elevated soluble inflammatory markers. We conducted analyses to assess the association of inflammatory markers with radiographic OA of the hands and knees in a large community-based cohort.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Framingham Offspring cohort consists of the adult children of the original cohort and their spouses. In 1998-2001 these subjects provided blood specimens that were tested for 17 markers of systemic inflammation. In 2002-2005 these subjects had radiographs of both knees and hands. Each hand and knee joint was assigned a Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) score (0-4). We used logistic regression with generalized estimating equations and adjustment for age, sex, and body mass index to examine the association between each inflammatory marker and the presence of radiographic OA (ROA = KL grade ≥ 2) in any joint. We also constructed models for hand joints and knee joints alone.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Radiographs and measures of inflammation were done for 1235 subjects (56% women, mean age 65 yrs). Of that group, 729 subjects (59%) had ROA in ≥ 1 hand or knee joint: 179 (14.3%) had knee OA, and 694 (56.2%) had hand OA. There were no significant associations between any marker of inflammation and ROA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this large sample, in which OA was carefully assessed and multiple markers measured, we found no evidence of an association between any inflammatory marker and the presence of radiographic OA.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Epidemiology Research and Training Unit and the Division of Rheumatology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA 02118, USA. svlad@bu.edu
authors.forename: Steven C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Vlad
authors.forename: Tuhina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neogi
authors.forename: Piran
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aliabadi
authors.forename: João D T
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Fontes
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Felson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D050823:Hand Joints / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007719:Knee Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers