Protein May Predict Severe Osteoarthritis
BY LAUREN UZDIENSKI, AUGUST 18, 2009
Researchers have identified a protein marker that predicts the onset of severe OA, according to a study published in the journal Arthritis & Rheumatism. Seeking an OA predictor apart from age and weight, scientists focused on vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1) in blood samples from patients who underwent joint replacement.
The original study population was 912 healthy individuals in Bruneck, Italy, who were enrolled in the study in 1990. Since then, 60 of those patients had hip or knee replacements attributable to severe OA. All of these patients were found to have "substantially elevated" levels of VCAM-1. The authors say VCAM-1 levels "[equal] or even [surpass] the effects of age," and that including VCAM-1 levels in risk prediction models produced more accurate outcomes.
VCAM-1 is a sialoglycoprotein expressed on cells in the cartilage and connective tissue, and the authors suggest it may damage the tissue or cause an inflammatory response. Spotting this protein in the blood could be a valuable way of identifying potential OA cases before symptom onset, which could help patients take preventative measures against disease progression as well as aid physicians in planning treatment.
The authors say VCAM-1 is the first known protein marker for severe OA.
