Study of biomarkers for hand osteoarthritis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K18078
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 56020:Orthopedics-related
• Research Institution: Fujita Health University
• Principal Investigator: Kuroiwa Takashi 藤田医科大学, 医学部整形外科学講座, 講師 (10870363)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 手指変形性関節症 / hand osteoarthritis / バイオマーカー / エピジェネティクス / DNAメチル化

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The objective of this study was to search for biomarkers of osteoarthritis in hand osteoarthritis (HOA). Blood samples were collected from HOA patients presenting to our hospital with hand pain and from healthy volunteers without hand pain, and DNA methylation array analysis was performed in three HOA cases and three controls. The results showed significant differences in 8942 out of 735026 probes. The top 100 regions with the smallest P-values were selected and validated by pyrosequencing for PLOD2, ICOS, CSF1R, BMP7, and MCF2L, which have been reported to be associated with OA in the past. The results showed that only BMP7 showed significantly higher DNA methylation in HOA.

Free Research Field

手指変形性関節症

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

手指変形性関節症（HOA）は罹患頻度が高く、手指の機能低下や痛みはADLやQOLに大きな影響を及ぼす。現在、変形性関節症に対し、臨床応用されているバイオマーカーは存在しない。本研究ではDNAメチル化アレイ解析を行い、BMP7においてコントロールと比べHOAで有意にメチル化が増加していた。このことから、BMP7のメチル化がHOAに大きく関係しており、HOAの診断や治療、進行予防に役立つバイオマーカーと可能性がある。