Conference Coverage
Three miRNA biomarkers predicted osteoarthritis severity
Key clinical point: Biomarkers may allow early interventions to limit osteoarthritis risks, such as cartilage damage.Major finding: Let-7e was a...
PARIS – Newly discovered micro RNA molecules found in the blood of patients before they developed severe osteoarthritis may help predict the disease and potentially identify those who would most benefit from preventive interventions.
That finding emerged from a longitudinal study presented at the annual European Congress of Rheumatology.
By using a screening technique to search a broad array of micro RNAs (miRNAs), Dr. Christian Beyer of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg (Germany) and his colleagues found several miRNAs that were differentially expressed in the blood of 67 people who developed severe osteoarthritis and underwent at least one total joint replacement and 749 who did not.
One miRNA molecule in particular, known as let-7e, appeared to be "very promising" in this regard, he said. Let-7e is inversely associated with the development of osteoarthritis, with levels correlating with the risk of developing OA, Dr. Beyer said in a video interview with Dr. Christopher Sparks of the University of Liverpool (England).