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Blood plasma, synovial fluid metabolite correlation modest, may not be useful in assessing OA
Of 168 targeted metabolic concentrations, only eight showed positive correlation with an analysis of synovial fluid in patients with osteoarthritis, and may be too variable to reliably monitor disease activity, according to study findings.
Researchers compared synovial fluid and blood serum concentrations of 186 metabolites from 30 male and 39 female patients with osteoarthritis (OA). Patients’ mean age was 66 years, and mean BMI was 33.3. Synovial fluid (SF) was collected during joint surgery and blood samples were collected after at least 8 hours of fasting. Metabolites were analyzed using the AbsoluteIDQ kit (Biocrates), and 168 of 186 of the targeted metabolites were successfully determined.
Of the 168 metabolites, only eight correlated according to Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient of 0.45 or greater, including creatinine, four amino acids (glycine, leucine, valine and isoleucine) and three glycerophospholipids (phosphatidylcholine diacyl C36:0, phosphatidylcholine acylalkyl C30:0, phosphatidylcholine diacyl C24:0), according to the researchers.
The researchers also found men in the study were likely to have a higher correlation coefficient; however, the difference was not statistically significant. No differences were seen between younger patients and patients older than 65 years of age.
The researchers concluded the metabolite concentrations in SF and plasma were highly variable and called into question whether the metabolite levels were reflective of joint metabolism for the purpose of monitoring the progression of OA symptoms. – by Shirley Pulawski
Disclosure: The research was supported by the Supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Newfoundland and Labrador Research and Development Corporation.