Abstract
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common major disabling disease in humans and horses. Hyaluronic acid (HA), naturally abundantly present in synovial fluid (SF), is thought to have crucial impact on the functional rheological and biochemical features of SF in healthy and osteoarthritic joints. Here we present comparative measurements of HA concentration in SF from 35 normal and osteoarthritic equine joints, between two different approaches. On the one hand, an established biochemical HA-specific Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) assay was employed, which determined that SF in healthy and osteoarthritic equine joints is characterized by HA concentration of ca 0.3–2 mg/mL and 0.1–0.7 mg/mL respectively. On the other hand the same SF samples were also examined with a new exploratory approach of finding out HA concentration, which is based on SF rheology. This was done following “calibration” using appropriate model HA solutions. Comparative analysis of the results obtained by both the biochemical and the rheological approaches, revealed that in most cases the rheological approach greatly overestimates HA concentration in SF, by ca 3 to 8 times and 6 to 11 times, in healthy and diseased SF respectively. Overall these findings support the notion that, contrary to the established view, HA may not be the major contributor of equine SF rheology. This should be taken into account for the development of new more effective preventive strategies, as well as more effective early-stage interventions in osteoarthritis.
Highlights
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative joint disease, and it is an important cause of pain, disability and economic burden
In an attempt to cast further light on the role of hyaluronic acid (HA) in OA, here we present comparative measurements of HA concentration in synovial fluid (SF) from 35 normal and osteoarthritic equine joints, using two different approaches: on the one hand, an established biochemical HA-specific Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) assay was employed; on the other hand the same SF samples were examined with a new exploratory approach of finding out HA concentration, which is based on SF rheology; this was done following
In this study we aimed at exploring a practical application of SF rheology, ie whether or not we could use our quantitative understanding of the rheological behavior of model HA solutions, in order to derive information about HA concentration in unknown SF samples, via rheological analysis of this biological fluid
Summary
Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic, degenerative joint disease, and it is an important cause of pain, disability and economic burden. It is the most common joint disease in humans as well as in horses; it is estimated that in 2008 over 100 million adults were affected by clinical OA in the USA and in Europe [1–3]. The main characteristic of the disease is the gradual degradation of cartilage as the extracellular matrix (ECM) degrades [4]. In pathological circumstances, this balance is disrupted and a progressive loss of the articular cartilage (AC) begins. This process results in pain and physical disability [5–8]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
