A blood test predicts eight years before the telltale signs of knee osteoarthritis

A blood test predicts eight years before the telltale signs of knee osteoarthritis

A blood test successfully predicted knee osteoarthritis at least eight years before telltale signs of disease appeared on X-rays, Duke Health researchers report.

In a study published April 26 in the journalScientific advancesThe researchers confirmed the accuracy of the blood test, which identified key biomarkers for osteoarthritis. They showed that it predicted the development of the disease as well as its progression, which was shown in their previous work.

The research promotes the utility of a blood test that would be superior to current diagnostic tools, which often only detect the disease once it has caused structural damage to the joint.

Currently, an abnormal X-ray is required to provide clear evidence of knee osteoarthritis, and if it shows up on the X-ray, your disease has been progressing for some time. Our blood test shows that it is possible to detect this disease much earlier than our current diagnostics allow.”

Virginia Byers Kraus, MD, Ph.D.,senior author,Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Pathology and Orthopedic Surgery at Duke University School of Medicine

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. It affects an estimated 35 million adults in the United States and causes significant economic and societal impacts. Although there is currently no cure, the success of potential new therapies could depend on detecting the disease early and slowing its progression before it becomes debilitating.

Kraus and colleagues have focused on developing molecular biomarkers that can be used both for clinical diagnostic purposes and as a research tool to support the development of effective drugs. In previous studies, the blood biomarker test demonstrated 74% accuracy in predicting the progression of knee osteoarthritis and 85% accuracy in diagnosing knee osteoarthritis.

The current study further improved the test's predictive capabilities. Using a large database in the United Kingdom, researchers analyzed the serum of 200 white women, half of whom were diagnosed with osteoarthritis and half of whom were not diagnosed with the disease, based on body mass index and age.

They found that a small number of biomarkers in the blood test could successfully distinguish the women with knee osteoarthritis from those without knee osteoarthritis by detecting molecular signals of osteoarthritis eight years before many of the women were diagnosed with the disease through X-rays.

"This is important because it provides more evidence that there are abnormalities in the joint that can be detected by blood biomarkers long before X-rays can detect osteoarthritis," Kraus said. “Early osteoarthritis may provide an opportunity to halt the disease process and restore joint health.”

In addition to Kraus, the authors of the study include Shuming Sun, Alexander Reed, Erik J. Soderblom, M Arthur Moseley, Kaile Zhou, Vaibhav Jain, Nigel Arden and Yi-Ju Li.

The study received funding from the National Institutes of Health (R01-AR071450 and P30-AG028716).

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