A novel biomarker in patients with knee osteoarthritis: adropin

Role of neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio in osteoarthritis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Osteoarthritis (OA) involves low-grade inflammation. The neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) may serve as a simple biomarker, but its role in OA remains unclear.

AIM

To review the existing scientific literature on the role of NLR in OA, a classic age-related disorder, to perform a meta-analysis of the available data.

METHODS

The electronic databases PubMed, ProQuest, and Scopus were systematically searched from inception to March 1, 2024. The inclusion criteria were retrospective and prospective case-control studies involving human subjects with OA and healthy controls. The included studies needed to provide NLR levels for both OA patients and healthy controls and perform a comparative analysis of NLR levels between these groups.

RESULTS

According to the PRISMA guidelines, fifteen articles were included in the meta-analysis after multiple screenings. The pooled results demonstrated a significant overall elevation of NLR in OA patients compared to healthy controls. (standardized mean difference = 0.39, 95% confidence interval: 0.03-0.75, P = 0.03). However, the subgroup analysis shows no significant differences in NLR levels when considering study design (retrospective vs prospective) and OA severity (severe vs mild-moderate). This suggests variability and potential limitations in using NLR as a consistent marker across different study types and OA severity.

CONCLUSION

Our study found that OA patients have higher NLR than healthy individuals. However, NLR did not significantly differ by study type or disease severity, suggesting its limited use in indicating OA severity.

Chronic Kidney Disease and Osteoarthritis: Current Understanding and Future Research Directions

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a significant public health concern. Osteoarthritis (OA), a common form of arthritis, has been shown to have a dramatically increased prevalence, particularly among individuals aged 40-50 and older, in the presence of CKD. Furthermore, CKD may exacerbate the progression and impact of OA. A survey study revealed that 53.9% of CKD patients undergoing long-term hemodialysis were diagnosed with OA. These findings underscore the potential association between CKD and OA. Uremic toxins, such as indoxyl sulfate, p-cresyl sulfate, transforming growth factor-β, and advanced glycation end-products, are regarded as potential risk factors in various CKD-related conditions, affecting bone and joint metabolism. However, whether these factors serve as a bridging mechanism between CKD and OA comorbidities, as well as their detailed roles in this context, remains unclear. Addressing the progression of OA in CKD patients and identifying effective treatment and prevention strategies is an urgent challenge that warrants immediate attention. This review focuses on describing and discussing the molecular pathological mechanisms underlying CKD-associated OA and the possible therapeutic strategies.

Unraveling the molecular landscape of osteoarthritis: A comprehensive review focused on the role of non-coding RNAs

Osteoarthritis (OA) poses a significant global health challenge, with its prevalence anticipated to increase in the coming years. This review delves into the emerging molecular biomarkers in OA pathology, focusing on the roles of various molecules such as metabolites, noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs), including microRNAs (miRNAs) and long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs), and circular RNAs (circRNAs). Advances in omics technologies have transformed biomarker identification, enabling comprehensive analyses of the complex pathways involved in OA pathogenesis. Notably, ncRNAs, especially miRNAs and lncRNAs, exhibit dysregulated expression patterns in OA, presenting promising opportunities for diagnosis and therapy. Additionally, the intricate interplay between epigenetic modifications and OA progression highlights the regulatory role of epigenetics in gene expression dynamics. Genome-wide association studies have pinpointed key genes undergoing epigenetic changes, providing insights into the inflammatory processes and chondrocyte hypertrophy typical of OA. Understanding the molecular landscape of OA, including biomarkers and epigenetic mechanisms, holds significant potential for developing innovative diagnostic tools and therapeutic strategies for OA management.

Blood and urine biomarkers for the diagnosis of early stages of knee osteoarthritis: A systematic review

Purpose

To identify biomarkers in human blood or urine at an early stage of knee osteoarthritis (OA) and to elucidate if any can accurately differentiate between healthy controls and early knee OA patients and be considered as a candidate for widespread clinical use for early diagnosis of the disease.

Methods

Medline, Embase and Web of Science were screened to identify comparative studies measuring differences in blood or urine biomarkers between healthy controls and knee OA patients at an early stage (grade 1 or 2 Kellgren-Laurence). Two independent reviewers screened the abstracts for eligibility, reviewed the full texts, assessed the methodological quality and extracted the data. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal tool for diagnostic test accuracy studies was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Due to relevant heterogeneity, meta-analysis was not appropriate.

Results

Five studies met the eligibility criteria. The examined biomarkers were adropin, collagen type II metabolite, C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type II collagen, C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, matrix metalloproteinase 3, N-terminal propeptide of procollagen type IIA, type I procollagen N-terminal propeptides, N-terminal osteocalcin, angiopoietin-2, follistatin, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, hepatocyte growth factor, interleukin-8, leptin, platelet-derived growth factor-BB, platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1, vascular endothelial growth factor and calprotectin and totalling 19 biomarkers. All of the biomarkers were studied only once in the selected papers.

Conclusions

There is no reliable biomarker available to differentiate between early knee OA in patients and healthy controls, but a potential role of a cluster of biomarkers to close this gap. There are several limitations, including inappropriate study designs, small sample sizes, nonconsecutive patient groups and inadequate statistical methods for evaluating biomarker performance in studies included.

Level of Evidence

Level III.

Efficacy and Safety of Two Chondroprotective Supplements in Patients With Knee Osteoarthritis: A Randomized, Single-Blind, Pilot Study

Background: Hyaluronic acid (HA), glucosamine (Glc), and chondroitin sulfate (CS) are key ingredients commonly incorporated into dietary chondroprotective supplements for the management of osteoarthritis (OA). Despite their widespread use, there is a paucity of published data regarding their efficacy and safety, necessitating rigorous investigation in clinical settings. To address this knowledge gap, we conducted a randomized, single-blind pilot study to evaluate the effects of two commercially available multi-ingredient supplements on patients with mild-to-moderate knee OA. Methods: A total of 51 patients diagnosed with mild-to-moderate knee OA were enrolled in a four-week randomized study and allocated equally (1:1:1 ratio) into three groups: a control group (n = 17) that received no treatment, an HA group (n = 17) given Syalox® 300 Plus (1 tablet/day) containing HA (300 mg) and Boswellia serrata extract (100 mg), and a Glc + CS group (n = 17) given Cartijoint® Forte (1 tablet/day) containing Glc (415 mg), CS (400 mg), and curcuminoids from rhizomes of Curcuma longa L (50 mg).Physicians conducting evaluations were blinded to group assignments, whereas patients were not. All participants underwent assessments of pain relief, functional capacity improvement, and serum adropin levels, an emerging biomarker of knee OA, at baseline and after the four-week intervention period. Results: Both the HA and the Glc + CS groups exhibited improvements at the end of the study relative to baseline, with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) observed in pain at rest, pain during movement, range of motion, and the overall Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) scores, including its pain, stiffness, and physical function subscales. Notably, the HA group outperformed the Glc + CS group in the alleviation of pain at rest, pain during movement, and on the WOMAC pain subscale, with all differences being statistically significant (p < 0.05). Additionally, both groups showed a significant elevation in serum adropin levels from baseline (p < 0.05), with the HA group experiencing a more substantial increase when compared to the Glc + CS group (p < 0.05). Both supplements showed a limited number of treatment-emergent adverse events. Conclusion: Oral supplementation with either HA or Glc + CS demonstrated potential benefits for managing symptoms of mild-to-moderate knee OA. Notably, HA supplementation was associated with greater improvements in pain relief and higher elevations in serum adropin levels compared to Glc + CS supplementation. However, larger-scale and longer-term studies are necessary to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of these dietary supplements within the clinical management arsenal for knee OA.

Central and Peripheral Inflammation in Mild Cognitive Impairment in the Context of Alzheimer's Disease

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is characterized by an abnormal decline in mental and cognitive function compared with normal cognitive aging. It is an underlying condition of Alzheimer's disease (AD), an irreversible neurodegenerative disease. In recent years, neuroinflammation has been investigated as a new leading target that contributes to MCI progression into AD. Understanding the mechanism underlying inflammatory processes involved in the early onset of the disease could help find a safe and effective way to diagnose and treat patients. In this article, we assessed over twenty different blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) inflammatory biomarker concentrations with immunoassay methods in patients with MCI (mild cognitive impairment), non-impaired control (NIC), and serum healthy control (HC). We performed group comparisons and analyzed in-group correlations between the biomarkers. We included 107 participants (mean age: 64.7 ± 7.8, women: 58.9%). CSF osteopontin and YKL-40 were significantly increased in the MCI group, whereas serum C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 were significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the NIC group compared with the MCI and HC groups. Stronger correlations between interleukin-1β and inflammasome markers were observed in the serum of the MCI group. We confirmed specific inflammatory activation in the central nervous system and interleukin-1β pathway upregulation in the serum of the MCI cohort.

Biomarkers of Osteoarthritis—A Narrative Review on Causal Links with Metabolic Syndrome

Development of OA (OA) is multifactorial and is strongly associated with risk factors such as aging, trauma, metabolic disorders, and obesity. Metabolic Syndrome (MetS)-associated OA, collectively coined MetS-OA, is an increasingly recognized entity in which metabolic disorders and low-grade inflammation play a key mechanistic role in the disruption of joint homeostasis and cartilage degradation. Although there have been enormous efforts to discover biomarkers of MetS and OA, studies investigating a pathophysiological link between MetS and OA are relatively limited, and no serum blood marker has proved diagnostic so far. OA biomarkers that are necessary to discriminate and diagnose early disease remain to be elicited, explained in part by limited prospective studies, and therefore limited tools available to utilize in any prognostic capacity. Biomarker validation projects have been established by the Biomarker Consortium to determine biochemical markers demonstrating predictive validity for knee OA. Given that the metabolic constituents of MetS are treatable to varying extents, it stands to reason that treating these, and monitoring such treatment, may help to mitigate deleterious links with OA development. This narrative review will describe the current state of biomarker identification and utility in OA associated with MetS. We discuss the pathophysiological mechanisms of disease according to constituent pathologies of MetS and how identification of biomarkers may guide future investigation of novel targets.

Organ Chips and Visualization of Biological Systems

Organ-on-a-chip (OOC) is an emerging frontier cross-cutting science and technology developed in the past 10 years. It was first proposed by the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering of Harvard Medical School. It consists of a transparent flexible polymer the size of a computer memory stick, with hollow microfluidic channels lined with living human cells. Researchers used bionics methods to simulate the microenvironment of human cells on microfluidic chips, so as to realize the basic physiological functions of corresponding tissues and organs in vitro. Transparent chip materials can perform real-time visualization and high-resolution analysis of various human life processes in a way that is impossible in animal models, so as to better reproduce the microenvironment of human tissue and simulate biological systems in vitro to observe drug metabolism and other life processes. It provides innovative research systems and system solutions for in vitro bionics of biological systems. It also has gradually become a new tool for disease mechanism research and new drug development. In this chapter, we will take the current research mature single-organ-on-a-chip and multi-organ human-on-a-chip as examples; give an overview of the research background and underlying technologies in this field, especially the application of in vitro bionic models in visualized medicine; and look forward to the foreseeable future development prospects after the integration of organ-on-chip and organoid technology.

Diagnostic accuracy of adropin as a preliminary test to exclude acute pulmonary embolism: a prospective study

Background

This study aims to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of adropin as a biomarker to exclude the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

Methods

Patients admitted to the emergency department of a tertiary health centre between August 2019 and August 2020 and diagnosed with PE were included in this prospective cohort study. The amount of serum adropin was determined in patients with (PE) and compared with that of healthy volunteers. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed with the obtained data, and the area under the curve (AUC) with a 95% confidence interval was determined. The parameters of diagnostic accuracy for PE were determined.

Results

A total of 57 participants were included in the study (28 controls and 29 PE patients). The mean adropin level in the PE group was 187.33 ± 62.40 pg/ml, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (524.06 ± 421.68 pg/ml) (p < 0.001). When the optimal adropin cut-off value was 213.78 pg/ml, the likelihood ratio of the adropin test was 3.4, and the sensitivity of the adropin test at this value was 82% with specificity of 75% (95% CI; AUC: 0.821).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that adropin may be considered for further study as a candidate marker for the exclusion of the diagnosis of PE. However, more research is required to verify and support the generalizability of our study results.

Serum Adropin Levels in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis

Adropin is a secretory protein that mainly modulates metabolic homeostasis and endothelial function. There is growing evidence supporting association of adropin with various inflammatory diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to compare serum adropin levels between 70 patients with RA and 70 matched healthy controls. Furthermore, we explored adropin correlations with RA disease activity, glucose metabolism parameters and inflammatory biomarkers. Serum adropin levels were determined by a competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Serum adropin levels were significantly lower in RA patients than in the control group (2.85 ± 0.91 vs. 4.02 ± 0.99 ng/mL, p < 0.001). In the RA group, serum adropin levels had a significant negative correlation with total cholesterol (r = −0.172, p = 0.043), HbA1c (r = −0.406, p < 0.001), fasting glucose (r = −0.377, p < 0.001) and HOMA-IR (the homeostasis model assessment-estimated insulin resistance; (r = −0.315, p = 0.008)). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that serum adropin levels retained a significant association with levels of fasting glucose (β ± SE, −0.450 ± 0.140, p = 0.002) and HbA1c (−0.528 ± 0.223, p = 0.021) after model adjustments. These findings imply that adropin could have an impact on metabolic homeostasis in RA, although further well-designed studies are warranted in order to establish this.

Clinically Relevant Molecular Biomarkers for Use in Human Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review

OBJECTIVE

Biomarkers in osteoarthritis (OA) could serve as objective clinical indicators for various disease parameters, and act as surrogate endpoints in clinical trials for disease-modifying drugs. The aim of this systematic review was to produce a comprehensive list of candidate molecular biomarkers for knee OA after the 2013 ESCEO review and discern whether any have been studied in sufficient detail for use in clinical settings.

DESIGN

MEDLINE and Embase databases were searched between August 2013 and May 2018 using the keywords "knee osteoarthritis," "osteoarthritis," and "biomarker." Studies were screened by title, abstract, and full text. Human studies on knee OA that were published in the English language were included. Excluded were studies on genetic/imaging/cellular markers, studies on participants with secondary OA, and publications that were review/abstract-only. Study quality and bias were assessed. Statistically significant data regarding the relationship between a biomarker and a disease parameter were extracted.

RESULTS

A total of 80 studies were included in the final review and 89 statistically significant individual molecular biomarkers were identified. C-telopeptide of type II collagen (CTXII) was shown to predict progression of knee OA in urine and serum in multiple studies. Synovial fluid vascular endothelial growth factor concentration was reported by 2 studies to be predictive of knee OA progression.

CONCLUSION

Despite the clear need for biomarkers of OA, the lack of coordination in current research has led to incompatible results. As such, there is yet to be a suitable biomarker to be used in a clinical setting.

Association between adropin and coronary artery lesions in children with Kawasaki disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute systemic vasculitis in children. Coronary artery lesions (CALs) are the most serious complications in KD, but the pathogenesis is still unclear so far. Adropin, a new biopeptide, plays an important role in metabolism and cardiovascular function. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between adropin and KD. 66 KD patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) were included in the study. KD patients were divided into KD with coronary artery lesions (KD-CALs) group and KD without CALs (KD-NCALs) group. The levels of serum adropin were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Compared with the HC group, adropin concentrations were significantly increased in the KD group (p < 0.05), and the KD-CAL group had higher levels of adropin than those in the KD-NCAL group (p < 0.05). Pct (Procalcitonin) and DD (D-dimer) were positively correlated with adropin in the KD group (p < 0.05). Moreover, adropin had positive correlations with CRP (C-reactive protein) and DD in the KD-NCAL group and positive correlations with Pct, PLR (platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio), and DD in the KD-CAL group (p < 0.05). The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve showed that the best threshold value of serum adropin level was more than 2.8 ng/mL, with 72.2% sensitivity and 71.4% specificity for predicting CALs in children with KD.Conclusion: Adropin might be involved in the pathogenesis of KD and CALs and can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic biomarker of KD. What is Known: • CALs in KD were mainly caused by inflammation, immune imbalance, and vascular endothelial dysfunction, and adropin is involved in metabolic diseases and cardiovascular diseases. What is New: • In this study, we have found the relationship between adropin and KD, and serum adropin level can be used as an auxiliary diagnostic biomarker to predict CALs in KD.

Adropin as a potential mediator of the metabolic system-autonomic nervous system-chronobiology axis: Implementing a personalized signature-based platform for chronotherapy

Adropin is a peptide hormone, which plays a role in energy homeostasis and controls glucose and fatty acid metabolism. Its levels correlate with changes in carbohydrate-lipid metabolism, metabolic diseases, central nervous system function, endothelial function and cardiovascular disease. Both metabolic pathways and adropin are regulated by the circadian clocks. Here, we review the roles of the autonomic nervous system and circadian rhythms in regulating metabolic pathways and energy homeostasis. The beneficial effects of chronotherapy in various systems are discussed. We suggest a potential role for adropin as a mediator of the metabolic system-autonomic nervous system axis. We discuss the possibility of establishing an individualized adropin and circadian rhythm-based platform for implementing chronotherapy, and variability signatures for improving the efficacy of adropin-based therapies are discussed.

Platelet-Rich Plasma Ameliorates Monosodium Iodoacetate-Induced Ankle Osteoarthritis in the Rat Model via Suppression of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

Until now, there is no treatment that cause complete cure of the chronic inflammatory and degenerative disease, osteoarthritis (OA). Moreover, the underlying mechanisms of OA development and progress are not fully elucidated, and the present pharmacological treatment alternatives are restricted and associated with adverse side effects. Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluate the role of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the remedy of OA in the rat model in terms of inflammation, ankle histopathological alterations, and oxidative stress. OA was induced in male Wistar rats by injection of MIA (2 mg)/50 µL isotonic saline in the right ankle joint for two successive days in each rat. After the 2nd MIA injection, the osteoarthritic rats were allocated into two groups such as the MIA group (group 2) and MIA + PRP group (group 3). The MIA + PRP group was treated with PRP (50 µL) by injection into the ankle joint of the right hind limb of each rat at days 14, 21, and 28 after the 2nd injection of MIA. The same equivalent volume of saline, as a substitute of PRP, was injected into the ankle joint of each rat of the normal control group (group 1) and MIA group (group 2) at the same tested periods. Swelling of joint, bodyweight, total leucocytes count (TLC), and morphological as well as histological changes of ankle joints were evaluated. Serum lipid peroxides (LPO), glutathione (GSH), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) levels were examined as biomarkers of oxidative stress. Serum tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-17 (IL-17), and interleukin-4 (IL-4) were investigated by ELISA as biomarkers of inflammation. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was carried out to investigate the soft tissues in joints. The obtained results revealed that PRP reduced LPO and increased GSH and GST levels in osteoarthritic rats. Also, PRP significantly diminished serum TNF-α and IL-17 levels, while it increased IL-4 serum levels in rats with MIA-induced OA. Morphological observations, histological analysis, and MRI revealed a gradual diminishing in joint inflammation and destruction of cartilage in PRP-injected osteoarthritic rats. Based on these results, it can be suggested that PRP has antiarthritic potential in MIA-induced OA, which may be mediated via suppression of inflammation and oxidative stress.

Diagnostic values of NLR and miR-141 in patients with osteoarthritis and their association with severity of knee osteoarthritis

The present study aimed to explore the diagnostic values of neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and microRNA (miR)-141 in patients with osteoarthritis and their association with the severity of knee osteoarthritis. In total 142 patients with osteoarthritis (the study group) admitted to Shanghai TCM-Integrated Hospital, Shanghai University of TCM from January 2017 to January 2019 and 150 healthy controls (the control group) were enrolled in the present study. NLR and miR-141 in peripheral blood and their diagnostic values for osteoarthritis were compared between the two groups. The two indicators in the study group were significantly increased (P<0.001), and their combined detection had a better diagnostic value for the disease (P<0.001). Moreover, they were closely associated to the progression of the disease and were independent risk factors (P<0.001). To sum up, NLR and miR-141 were significantly increased in the peripheral blood of patients with osteoarthritis. Their combined detection exhibited a good diagnostic value for the disease and may become a potential therapeutic target osteoarthritis in the future.

The role of matrix metalloproteinases in early and late gonarthrosis manifestations

The aim of this research was to study the specifics of the matrix metallopeptidase system in early and late gonarthrosis (GA) manifestations. Material and Methods — 37 patients of the main group (0-I stages of GA), 30 patients of the comparison group (III-IV stages of GA) and 30 healthy individuals of the control group underwent sonography and T2-relaxometry of their knee joints. The 24-h excretion of urinary C-telopeptide fragments of type II collagen (СTX-II) as well as serum concentrations of matrix metalloproteinases-3 and -8 (MMP-3, MMP-8), and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1) were also registered. Results — We detected increases in urinary СTX-II to 3.9 [2.5; 4.5] mg/d, MMP-8 to 364.7 [215; 434] pg/ml and TIMP-1 to 806 [559; 1157] pg/ml in the main group; to 9.7 [6.8; 10.2] mg/d, 579 [463; 663] pg/ml and 1256 [1029; 1330] pg/ml in the comparison group. The presence (p=0.04) of strong positive correlation (R=0.7) between the 24-h urinary СTX-II excretion and the change of MRI-signal characteristics for the areas of hyaline cartilage under the heaviest load on knee joints T2 relaxometry evidence was observed as well as the presence (p=0.001) of strong positive correlation (R=0.7) between MMP-8 and 24-h urinary СTX-II extraction. In early GA stages a strong positive correlation (R=0.6) was observed between MMP-8 and TIMP-1 (p=0.04) as well as 24-h urinary СTX-II excretion and TIMP-1 (R=0.5) at p˂0.001). Conclusion — Type II collagen degradation with MMP-8/TIMP-1 imbalance is one of the relevant mechanisms of the hyaline articular cartilage extracellular matrix disorganization in early and late GA evidences. The rearrangement of correlations between MMP-8 and TIMP-1 indicates the change in interaction mechanisms for GA proteolytic enzyme system components.

Effects of Probiotic Yogurt on Serum Omentin-1, Adropin, and Nesfatin-1 Concentrations in Overweight and Obese Participants Under Low-Calorie Diet

Data on the effects of probiotics on adipokines such as omentin-1, nesfatin-1, and adropin are limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of probiotic yogurt along with a low-calorie diet (LCD) on serum omentin-1, adropin, and nesfatin-1 concentrations in obese and overweight individuals. Sixty obese or overweight individuals aged 20-50 years old were involved in this randomized double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. Participants were randomly allocated into two groups to consume either probiotic yogurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5, Bifidobacterium BB12, and Lactobacillus casei DN001 (10⁸ CFU/g each) (n = 30) or regular yogurt (n = 30) along with a LCD in both groups for 8 weeks. Fasting blood samples were taken at baseline and after the 8-week intervention to determine related variables. A significant decrease in body fat percentage was observed in the probiotic group compared with the regular group after 8 weeks (- 1.51 ± 069 vs - 0.88 ± 0.68%, P = 0.002). After the 8-week intervention, a significant difference in serum adropin concentration (6.04 ± 24.46 vs - 8.16 ± 24.66 pg/ml, P = 0.03 and serum omentin-1 concentration (0.09 ± 1.51 vs - 1.5 ± 1.8 ng/ml, P = 0.003) was observed between two groups. We did not observe any significant changes in nesfatin-1 and other anthropometric measures. Overall, probiotic yogurt for 8 weeks among overweight or obese individuals along with LCD had beneficial effects on body fat percentage, serum omentin-1, and adropin concentration, but it did not have any effect on nesfatin-1 level.

Soluble Biomarkers of Osteoporosis and Osteoarthritis, from Pathway Mapping to Clinical Trials: An Update

Serum biomarkers of osteoarticular diseases have been in the limelight of current clinical research trends. Laboratory validation of defined and candidate biomarkers for both osteoarthritis and osteoporosis is of key importance for future decisional algorithms in the diagnosis, monitoring, and prognosis of these diseases. The current guidelines recommend the use of collagen degradation remnants, eg, CTX-I and CTX-II, in the complementary diagnosis of both osteoporosis and osteoarthritis. Besides the collagen degradation markers, enzymes that regulate bone and articular metabolism are useful in the clinical evaluation of osteoarticular pathologies. Along these, several other recommended and new nominee molecules have been recently studied. Wnts and Wnt-related molecules have a cardinal role in the bone-joint homeostasis, making them a promising target not only for pharmaceutical modulation, but also to be considered as soluble biomarkers. Sclerostin and dickkopf, two inhibitor molecules of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling, might have a dual role in the assessment of the clinical manifestations of the osteoarticular unit. In osteoarthritis, besides fragments of collagen type II many pathway-related molecules have been studied and proposed for biomarker validation. The most serious limitation is that a significant proportion of studies lack statistical power due to the reduced number of cases enrolled. Serum biomarkers of bone and joint turnover markers represent an encouraging possibility for the diagnosis and prognosis of osteoarticular diseases, although further studies and laboratory validations should be carried out as to solely rely on them.

A Review of Adropin as the Medium of Dialogue between Energy Regulation and Immune Regulation

Adropin is a secretory protein encoded by the energy balance gene and is closely associated with regulation of energy metabolism and insulin resistance. The clinical findings demonstrated its decreased expression in various inflammatory diseases, its negative correlation with the expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, and its potential anti-inflammatory effects. We speculate that adropin plays a pivotal regulatory role in immune cells and inflammatory factors. In this study, we reviewed the advances in researches concentrated on immunological effects of adropin.

Osteoarthritis year in review 2018: biomarkers (biochemical markers)

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this narrative review is to summarize important findings from biochemical marker studies relevant to osteoarthritis (OA) in the context of new discoveries and clinical and scientific need.

DESIGN

We conducted a systematic search of electronic medical databases (Embase, Medline, Web of Science, Cochrane central) between 01-03-2017 and 31-03-2018. The search was restricted to human studies, English language and full text available publications while reviews were excluded. Only papers describing protein based biomarkers measured in human body fluids (blood, urine and synovial fluid (SF)) were included. Of the 992 papers, 86 were reviewed here, with inclusion primarily based on relevance to OA biochemical markers.

RESULTS

This review highlights a selection of studies based on their quality and perceived importance to the field mainly including those that¹ evaluate prognostic value of biomarkers for OA progression (i.e., biomarkers reflecting change in composition of joint tissues and biomarkers of inflammation)², help in assessment of intervention efficacy, and³ are innovative and uncover new candidate biomarkers, or use new approaches in biomarker discovery.

CONCLUSIONS

Key findings and implications for possible clinical utility of biochemical markers are summarized and discussed. Given the paucity of robust biomarkers within the field, and the heterogeneity of the condition, enormous works are needed for development and validation of novel and clinically applicable biomarkers to reduce the impact of this highly prevalent and debilitating condition.