Publication:

Study of inflammatory markers in idiopathic osteoarthritis of knee

Background The aim of the present study was to analyse inflammatory markers in idiopathic osteoarthritis of knee and to formulate reliable disease markers in the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease.

Methods This prospective study was conducted for 2 years in a tertiary care center in 60 patients with idiopathic osteoarthritis of knee and compared them with 60 controls that had no signs of osteoarthritis.

Results The hematological markers to study inflammatory basis of idiopathic osteoarthritis of knee suggested that ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) was more than 20 mm/hour in 83.3%. Serum rheumatoid factor (RF) and CRP (C-reactive protein) was positive in 8.3% and 13.3% patients respectively. Antinuclear antibody (ANA) was positive in 2 (3.3%) patients and negative in 58 (96.7%) patients. Synovial fluid analysis was done in 44 patients with RF positivity in only 1 patient. The control group has ESR less than 30 mm/hour and CRP was (<3 µg/ml). In the control group RF and ANA were similar to the normal population.

Conclusions Synovial fluid analysis is of value to rule out crystal arthropathies and pyogenic arthritis. The study indicates that ESR, CRP and RF collectively can serve as surrogate markers in idiopathic osteoarthritis of knee. Further studies need to be done to formulate reliable disease markers in idiopathic osteoarthritis of knee.