Highlights on the role of serum estradiol in relation to rhoentgenographic picture of knee OA

Abstract EN

OA is the common cause of chronic pain it has a greater socioeconomic impact than any other chronic disease.

Sex hormones have long been considered a possible factor in the predisposition to OA, especially in women.

Our aim was to investigate serum estradiol as a possible factor in the predisposition to OA and its relation to the severity of the disease as assessed by X-ray grading.

The current study was conducted on 54 female Egyptian patients suffering from OA of the knee, and 12 healthy females, age matched to the patients group, served as controls.

The results showed significant difference between both patient and control groups as regards serum estrodiol levels (mean+SD for the patients group 21.7 +_ 23.8 while that for the control group way 30.9 ± 13.3 respectively) Further stratification of the patients into 3 groups according to X-ray grading (using Kruskal Wallis lest) referring to estradiol levels, showed a significant decrease in estradiol levels with advancement of X-ray grading (i.

e a significant negative correlation).

Thus, the results of our study showed, either a generally protective-or no effect for estradiol upon OA of the lcne;.

Researches may be guided by our findings to seek particular sex-related cartilage changes that may predispose elder menopausal women to the development of joint damage.

Further studies are needed to substentiate the concept that oestrogen either appears to have no effect on a women's risk of developing knee OA or the possibility of a protective association of oestrogen as suggested by our study.