Associations between normal serum levels of uric acid and knee symptoms, joint structures in patients with knee osteoarthritis / 中华疾病控制杂志

Objective To investigate the associations between normal serum uric acid (UA) levels and knee symptoms and structural changes in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).Methods A total of 205 patients with knee OA were enrolled. According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 122 patients with OA were included in the study. The general condition of patients were investingated. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score was used to assess severity of the knee joint symptoms. The Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grading system was used to assess radiological severity of the knee joint. Osirix software was used to assess changes of knee structure in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Peroxidase method was used to measure the serum levels of uric acid. Patients with normal range of uric acid were included in the study.Results The patients with lower levels of UA (split at the median level, 263 μmol/L) had a higher proportion of women, lower height, weight and lower proportions of K-L grade≥2. After adjustment for sex, age and body mass index, serum UA was negatively associated with total WOMAC scores (β=-16.15, P=0.018), WOMAC pain (β=-3.15, P=0.037), and WOMAC stiffness (β=-1.65, P=0.025). However, there were no significant associations between serum UA levels and knee joint structure changes.Conclusions In OA patients with normal serum UA, serum UA is negatively associated with the severity of joint symptoms, suggesting that UA within normal range may play a protective role in OA symptoms.

Osteoarthritis and metabolism / 中国实用内科杂志

Compared to all the risk factors for osteoarthritis, the systemic metabolic factors have long been neglected. Recently, the role of metabolic disorders, including obesity, metabolic syndrome and hormone abnormalities, in the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis is becoming increasingly explicit. Furthermore, these facts have promoted the concept of “metabolic osteoarthritis”, which is helping to clarify the significance of metabolic factors as the evidence of phenotype of osteoarthritis and potential therapeutic targets for osteoarthritis.