title: Serum non-coding RNAs as biomarkers for osteoarthritis progression after ACL injury.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to examine serum non-coding RNAs as potential biomarkers for cartilage damage associated with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
  
  
  METHODS
  Serum was obtained from 80 patients 1 year after surgery for ACL injury and 60 normal donors without overt skeletal injury. Total serum RNA was isolated, small non-coding RNAs profiled by TaqMan array MicroRNA (miRNA) analysis and individual small RNA assays performed by quantitative TaqMan RT-PCR (qPCR). Semi-quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis was performed using Whole Organ Magnetic Resonance Knee Score (WORMS) scoring for analysis of cartilage damage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Initial TaqMan array miRNA profiling showed an increased serum concentration of a small nucleolar RNA (snoRNA), U48, in five patients with cartilage damage compared with that in five patients without cartilage damage and six normal donors. Independent qPCR analysis of snoRNAs in serum from all patients and normal donors showed a strong association between the serum level of another snoRNA, U38, and cartilage damage in ACL injury patients and together with snoRNA, U48, clear distinction between ACL injury patients and normal donors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SnoRNAs U38 and U48 are significantly elevated in the serum of patients developing cartilage damage at 1 year after ACL injury. Serum levels of U38 have the potential to facilitate early diagnosis of patients with cartilage damage after ACL injury. This study suggests serum non-coding RNAs may serve as novel noninvasive biomarkers for the detection and assessment of cartilage damage after ACL injury.
authors.affiliation: Henry Ford Hospital, Bone and Joint Center, 2799 West Grand Blvd., Detroit, MI 48202, United States. liangz_tkl@yahoo.com
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marks
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hurtig
authors.forename: Q-S
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Mi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Divine
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gibson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000070598:Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injuries; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002358:Cartilage, Articular / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology / Q000235:genetics; D022661:RNA, Untranslated / Q000097:blood*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D022661:RNA, Untranslated