New molecular predictors of osteoarthritis discovered

Tiny molecules could soon be used to predict osteoarthritis before it becomes severe, enabling timely and effective treatment and preventative lifestyle changes, suggests a study presented at the European League Against Rheumatism Annual Congress.
Experts claim to have identified a correlation between micro RNAs and the development of severe osteoarthritis of the knee or hip joint, suggesting that micro RNAs could in the future be used as predictive biomarkers.
The team tracked 816 people to see if joint replacement is a definitive outcome of severe osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. Within the 15-year follow-up period, 67 people had one or more total joint replacement surgeries for severe knee or hip osteoarthritis.
When the experts looked at the DNA of the participants, they found that three micro RNAs were associated with severe knee and hip osteoarthritis.
“These results indicate that for the first time, we will be able to predict the risk of severe osteoarthritis, before the disease starts to significantly impact a person’s life, allowing us to take preventative action early on,” explains Dr Christian Beyer, lead study author. “Through the early identification of osteoarthritis we can decrease both the impact of the disease on individuals and the major socioeconomic burden severe disease poses.”