Photo Credit: Mohammed Haneefa Nizamudeen
A study on patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA) revealed elevated IL-25 levels, suggesting an inflammatory feedback loop potentially linked to obesity and disease severity, while IL-17 A levels were significantly higher in specific KOA subgroups, highlighting the involvement of the IL-17 family in KOA pathogenesis.
The following is a summary of “Role of Interleukin-17 family cytokines in disease severity of patients with knee osteoarthritis,” published in the January 2024 issue of Rheumatology by Kamiab et al.
The involvement of the Interleukin-17 (IL-17) family in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) pathogenesis stems from its contribution to joint inflammation and destruction.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to assess serum levels of IL-17 A and IL-25 (IL-17E) in KOA patients and elucidate their significance in disease severity.
They enrolled 34 KOA patients and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy subjects, categorized according to Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Body Mass Index (BMI) scores. Serum IL-17 A and IL-25 levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique.
The result showed that the IL-25 level was markedly higher (P<0.0001) in KOA subjects compared to healthy subjects (HS). For IL-17 A, levels were significantly elevated in KOA cases with WOMAC < 40 (P<0.0001) and those with VAS < 5 (P<0.0001) compared to HS. Similarly, IL-25 levels were significantly higher in KOA cases with WOMAC < 40 (P<0.0001), WOMAC ≥ 40 (P<0.0001), VAS < 5 (P<0.0001), and VAS ≥ 5 (P<0.0001) compared to HS. Additionally, KOA patients with BMI ≥ 30 exhibited significantly higher IL-17 A and IL-25 concentrations than HS.
Investigators concluded that KOA patients show elevated IL-25, suggesting a paradoxical inflammatory feedback loop potentially linked to obesity and disease severity.
Source: advancesinrheumatology.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42358-024-00351-5