Correlation between synovial TGF-1 and knee osteoarthritis osteophytes

Abstract EN

Measurement of cytokines in the synovial fluid may explain much of the pathogenesis of the disease and provide a tool for evaluating the usefulness of new approaches in therapy.

TGF-1 is known to have the most important influence on chondrocytes among various growth factors.

So we measured the synovial level of TGF-B1 in 30 patients with primary OA of the knees and evaluated its level with osteophyte formation.

The study group comprised 19 females and 11 males with a disease duration, which ranged between 2 and 12 years.

All the patients were subjected to clinical examination and aspiration of synovial fluid.

The latter was kept at -20C until ELISA measured TGF-B1.

Plain x-rays of the knees were taken to determine the osteophyte score.

According to osteophyte score, patients were classified into 2 groups.

TGF-B1 was highly significantly elevated in OA patients with osteophytes (group II) than group I (p < 0.0001).

Also there was a positive correlation between the level of TGF-B1 with osteophytes score, age and disease duration (p < 0.0001).

So there was a close correlation between the level of TGF-B1 and osteophytes in OA patients.

Also, measurement of this cytokine could give us an idea about how much was the destruction of cartilage and progression of the disease.

Future studies with TGF-B1 inhibitor may give a new approach in the treatment of osteoarthritic patients