PLASMA OSTEOPONTIN AND RADIOGRAPHIC GRADING CORRELATE IN PATIENTS WITH KNEE OSTEOARTHRITIS

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Studying the relationship between plasma osteopontin levels and radiological grade in patients with knee osteoarthritis and serum hyaluronic acid in patients with knee osteoarthritis will help determine whether osteopontin plays a
role in the etiology of OA degeneration by activating matrix metalloproteinase 13 and elevating serum hyaluronic acid levels.
Materials and methods: This study was conducted at the Department of General Medicine, GMC/GGH Jayashankar, Bhupalpally, Telangana, India, between the September 2022 to August 2023. The study included 50 patients with different degrees of radiological indications of osteoarthritis in the knee joint, as well as 25 healthy individuals as controls. Anteroposterior knee radiographs were obtained while the patient was standing in order to assess the severity of the disease in the affected knee joint. The Kellgren-Lawrence grading system was used to assess the severity of osteoarthritis in the knee joint using radiographic evaluation. Plasma osteopontin levels and serum hyaluronic acid levels were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and subsequently compared.
Results: In comparison to healthy controls, individuals with knee OA had a substantially higher mean plasma osteopontin concentration. There was a strong correlation between disease severity and plasma osteopontin levels. Patients with osteoarthritis of the knee had much greater mean serum hyaluronic acid concentrations than healthy controls. A strong correlation was found between the serum hyaluronic acid level and the K/L grades. Statistical analysis revealed that there was a statistically
significant rise in concentrations of serum hyaluronic acid and plasma osteopontin when the radiological K/L grade rose in cases with grades 2, 3, and 4.
Conclusion: The levels of osteopontin and hyaluronic acid in plasma and serum, respectively, are associated with the worsening of knee OA joint degeneration. Therefore, the severity of the disease can be assessed using a combination of osteopontin and hyaluronic acid as biomarkers.