Abstract
ObjectiveOsteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis and the leading cause of disability in the elderly. Of all the joints, genetic predisposition is strongest for OA of the...
Highlights
Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most frequent joint disorder worldwide
The DNA variant near the matrix Gla protein (MGP) gene was validated in three additional studies, which resulted in a highly significant association between the MGP variant and hand OA
Our results indicate that the association between the MGP variant and increased risk for hand OA is caused by a lower expression of MGP, which may increase the burden of hand OA by decreased inhibition of cartilage calcification
Summary
An estimated 22% of the adult population has a joint affected by OA and this incidence increases to 49% in individuals over 65 years of age.[1] All synovial joints can be affected by OA, with hand OA as one of the most common forms of OA. Hand OA is characterised by osteophyte formation, bony enlargements of finger joints and cartilage degradation in the joints. One of the factors contributing to cartilage degradation is the increase of calcified cartilage in the joint.[2 3] In addition, hand OA is related to the occurrence of OA at other sites, most notably with knee OA.[4 5] Patients affected by hand OA suffer from pain and disability, impacting their quality of life. It is imperative to dissect the underlying mechanism of disease aetiology as this may enhance effective and targeted drug development
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