leptin and Knee-Injuries

The identification of biomarkers of post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) progression is of clinical importance. The aims of this study were: (1) to assess the abilities of various soluble proinflammatory mediators in plasma to distinguish patients with knee PTOA from controls; (2) to determine the correlations between the mediators in plasma and those mediators in synovial fluid (SF); and (3) to explore the associations of the mediators with radiographic PTOA severity.. The concentrations of IL-1β, IL-6, IL-18, TNFα, and leptin were measured using ELISA. Nitric oxide was determined as nitrite/nitrate (NO. We included 171 subjects (134 PTOA patients and 37 controls) and excluded patients with rheumatoid arthritis or gout. The ROC curve of plasma NO. Circulating NO. III (case-control study).

Topics: Adult; Biomarkers; Disease Progression; Humans; Interleukin-18; Interleukin-1beta; Interleukin-6; Knee Injuries; Leptin; Middle Aged; Nitric Oxide; Osteoarthritis, Knee; Synovial Fluid; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

The health of the infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) has been linked to pain, joint inflammation, and the onset of post-traumatic osteoarthritis. Thus, early inflammation effects on the IFP could have long term sequelae on joint integrity. This study was designed to characterize the natural history of the IFP in a model of surgically induced knee injury and inflammation, and to test the efficacy of one intra-articular (IA) administration of dexamethasone (DEX) immediately following surgery.. An IA bone drill hole injury to the rabbit knee was conducted and immediately treated with DEX (n = 12). Early and late post-surgical time-points were investigated (48 h and 9 weeks) and the outcome measures were analysis of IFP histology, mRNA levels for relevant molecules, and protein levels for a subset of cytokines. Data were analyzed against a surgical control (injury without treatment; n = 12), a surgical sham (capsular incision only; n = 12), and normal control (n = 6).. Single IA injection of DEX (0.5 mg/kg), administered at the completion of surgery.. IFPs from injured joints exhibited significantly increased cellularity and early fibrosis at 48 h post surgery. While the histological inflammation from a capsular incision alone resolved, knee injured animals progressed to a significantly more fibrotic IFP by 9 weeks. DEX significantly lowered histological scores at 48 h, but not at the 9 weeks. DEX did not influence mRNA levels for IL-1β, 6, and 8, however, protein analysis indicated that IL-8 levels were lower in DEX treated joints. DEX resulted in significantly elevated expression of mRNA for MCP-1, leptin, and VEGF.. One IA administration of a glucocorticoid appears to mitigate the initial inflammation within the joint, but is not sufficient to protect the joint to 9 weeks post-surgery.

Topics: Adipose Tissue; Animals; Anti-Inflammatory Agents; Cytokines; Dexamethasone; Female; Fibrosis; Injections, Intra-Articular; Knee Injuries; Knee Joint; Leptin; Rabbits; RNA, Messenger; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A