Plasma and synovial fluid inflammatory cytokine profiles in primary knee osteoarthritis

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study is to compare inflammatory cytokine levels in primary knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients and healthy controls.

Methods: A total of 32 knee OA patients and 14 healthy controls were enrolled. A multiplex immunoassay was utilized for 10 cytokines in plasma and synovial fluid.

Results: Plasma IL-2, IL-4, and IL-6 concentrations were significantly greater in knee OA patients than controls. Moreover, both plasma IL-4 and IL-6 were positively correlated with the radiographic severity of knee OA.

Conclusions: Plasma IL-4 and IL-6 may serve as biomarkers reflecting the severity of OA.

Keywords:

• Anti-inflammatory
• cytokines
• osteoarthritis
• plasma
• proinflammatory
• synovial fluid

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Research Core Facility of the Department of Biochemistry and Chulalongkorn Medical Research Center (ChulaMRC) for kindly providing facilities. The authors also would like to thank Natthaphon Saetan for technical assistance.

Disclosure statement

The authors report that they have no conflicts of interest.

Funding information

This study was supported by the Ratchadapiseksompotch Fund (RA55/22), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand Research Fund, National Research Council of Thailand, and the Higher Education Research Promotion and National Research University Project of Thailand, Office of the Higher Education Commission through the Aging Society Cluster (WCU-58-037-AS), Chulalongkorn University.