Longitudinal Characterization of Inflammatory Biomarkers concurrent with the progression of an injury-induced model of Osteoarthritis

Abstract

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic and progressive degenerative joint disease. OA is characterized by the progressive loss of articular cartilage, changes in the subchondral bone, and inflammation of the synovium tissue. Currently, there are no curative therapeutics available for the disease, only ones to help manage the pain. According to the CDC, OA is the most common joint disorder, with millions of adults in the United States suffering. To understand the immune response during the progression of OA, our research focuses on identifying systemic inflammatory biomarkers concurrent with the progression of the disease in a rat model of OA. In this study, we surgically destabilized the knee via medial meniscal transection (MMT), which ultimately resulted in a degeneration of the cartilage and other tissues of the knee. We measured circulating levels of inflammatory cytokines and immune cells via longitudinal blood draws and characterized joint degeneration metrics via microcomputed tomography. We employed linear and nonlinear multivariate regression techniques to identify immune biomarkers that were correlated with the surface roughness of the articular cartilage at the end point. Early pilot studies demonstrated feasibility of longitudinal monitoring of immune responses in the MMT model of OA. By correlating joint degeneration with systemic immune responses, we hope to identify early immune biomarkers that may be indicative of disease status.