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Journal of veterinary research2017; 61(4); 503-508; doi: 10.1515/jvetres-2017-0056

Changes in Synovial Fluid Biomarkers after Experimental Equine Osteoarthritis.

Abstract: The study aimed to clarify the changes in the concentration of inflammatory mediators, proteases, and cartilage degradation biomarkers in the synovial fluid of joints in an equine osteoarthritis model. Methods: Osteoarthritis was induced in eight Mongolian horses by a sterile intra-articular injection of amphotericin B, which was injected into the left carpal joint in a dose of 2 mL (25 mg/mL). The control group comprised five horses which were injected with an equal dose of sterile physiological saline into the left carpal joint. Synovial fluid was obtained at baseline and every week after injection. Test methods were based on ELISA. Results: In the course of the osteoarthritis, the concentration of biomarkers in joint synovial fluid showed an increasing trend. IL-1, IL-6, MMP-9, MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, CS846, GAG, HA, CTX-II, and COMP concentrations sharply increased before the onset of significant symptoms of lameness, whereas TNF-α, MMP-2, and MMP-3 concentrations rose sharply after the occurrence of such symptoms. Conclusions: The results obtained confirm that the concentrations of IL-1, IL-6, MMP-9, MMP-13, ADAMTS-5, CS846, GAG, HA, CTX-II and COMP increase substantially in equine osteoarthritis, which provides a theoretical basis for the rapid diagnosis of the disease.
Publication Date: 2017-12-27 PubMed ID: 29978116PubMed Central: PMC5937351DOI: 10.1515/jvetres-2017-0056Google Scholar: Lookup
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  • Journal Article

Summary

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The article presents a study that aimed to understand the changes in specific biomarkers in joint fluid during the development of osteoarthritis in horses. Researchers induced osteoarthritis in a group of horses and compared their biomarker outcomes with a control group, finding significant increases in many of the studied biomarkers before the onset of major symptoms.

Objective and Methodology of the Study

  • The study aimed to explore the changes in the concentration of inflammatory mediators, proteases, and cartilage degradation biomarkers in joint fluid (‘synovial fluid’) in a horse model of osteoarthritis. Understanding these changes can contribute to an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of the disease.
  • Osteoarthritis was artificially induced in eight horses using an injection of a substance called amphotericin B into the joint. The control group consisted of five horses which were instead injected with a sterile saline solution, which is neutral and does not cause inflammation or damage to the joint.
  • Samples of synovial fluid, the lubricating fluid within joints, were taken from all horses before the start of the experiment, and every week thereafter. This fluid was examined for changes in its composition, particularly the presence of certain proteins and other molecules (biomarkers) related to inflammation and cartilage degradation.

Results and Findings

  • The study found that concentrations of several biomarkers significantly increased during the development of osteoarthritis. These include certain inflammatory factors (IL-1 and IL-6), enzymes that break down proteins (MMP-9 and MMP-13), a molecule involved in cartilage degradation (ADAMTS-5), and several markers of cartilage metabolism (CS846, GAG, HA, CTX-II, and COMP).
  • Interestingly, the levels of these biomarkers rose significantly before the horses started showing visible signs of disease, such as lameness. This suggests that these markers could potentially be used for early detection of osteoarthritis.
  • Other biomarkers, including another inflammatory factor (TNF-α) and two other protein-degrading enzymes (MMP-2 and MMP-3), also increased, but only after the horses started exhibiting symptoms.

Conclusions

  • The results confirm that concentrations of several biomarkers substantially increase in the synovial fluid of horses suffering from osteoarthritis. This provides a solid theoretical basis for the use of these biomarkers in the early diagnosis of the disease.
  • The fact that some of these biomarkers increase even before the onset of visible symptoms is particularly promising, and could allow for earlier intervention and potentially better management of the disease.

Cite This Article

APA
Ma TW, Li Y, Wang GY, Li XR, Jiang RL, Song XP, Zhang ZH, Bai H, Li X, Gao L. (2017). Changes in Synovial Fluid Biomarkers after Experimental Equine Osteoarthritis. J Vet Res, 61(4), 503-508. https://doi.org/10.1515/jvetres-2017-0056

Publication

ISSN: 2450-7393
NlmUniqueID: 101696630
Country: Poland
Language: English
Volume: 61
Issue: 4
Pages: 503-508

Researcher Affiliations

Ma, Tian-Wen
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Li, Yue
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Wang, Guan-Ying
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Li, Xin-Ran
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Jiang, Ren-Li
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Song, Xiao-Peng
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Zhang, Zhi-Heng
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Bai, Hui
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Li, Xin
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.
Gao, Li
  • College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150000, China.

Conflict of Interest Statement

Conflict of Interests Statement: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this article.

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Citations

This article has been cited 12 times.
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