title: Single Molecule Microscopy Reveals an Increased Hyaluronan Diffusion Rate in Synovial Fluid from Knees Affected by Osteoarthritis.
abstract: Osteoarthritis is a common and progressive joint disorder. Despite its widespread, in clinical practice only late phases of osteoarthritis that are characterized by severe joint damage are routinely detected. Since osteoarthritis cannot be cured but relatively well managed, an early diagnosis and thereby early onset of disease management would lower the burden of osteoarthritis. Here we evaluated if biophysical parameters of small synovial fluid samples extracted by single molecule microscopy can be linked to joint damage. In healthy synovial fluid (ICRS-score < 1) hyaluronan showed a slower diffusion (2.2 μm(2)/s, N = 5) than in samples from patients with joint damage (ICRS-score > 2) (4.5 μm(2)/s, N = 16). More strikingly, the diffusion coefficient of hyaluronan in healthy synovial fluid was on average 30% slower than expected by sample viscosity. This effect was diminished or missing in samples from patients with joint damage. Since single molecule microscopy needs only microliters of synovial fluid to extract the viscosity and the specific diffusion coefficient of hyaluronan this method could be of use as diagnostic tool for osteoarthritis.
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital und University of Bonn, Germany.
authors: Hendrik
authors: H
authors: Kohlhof
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital und University of Bonn, Germany.
authors: Sascha
authors: S
authors: Gravius
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital und University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors: Sandro
authors: S
authors: Kohl
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital und University of Bern, Switzerland.
authors: Sufian S
authors: SS
authors: Ahmad
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital und University of Bonn, Germany.
authors: Thomas
authors: T
authors: Randau
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital und University of Bonn, Germany.
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Schmolders
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital und University of Bonn, Germany.
authors: Yorck
authors: Y
authors: Rommelspacher
authors: Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Traumatology, University Hospital und University of Bonn, Germany.
authors: Max
authors: M
authors: Friedrich
authors: Institute of Physical and Theoretical Chemistry, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms Universität, Bonn, Germany.
authors: Tim P
authors: TP
authors: Kaminski
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D004058:Diffusion; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D020370:Osteoarthritis, Knee / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000072760:Single Molecule Imaging; D013582:Synovial Fluid / Q000378:metabolism*; D014783:Viscosity
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid