Hypothesis
Selected individual validated and experimental biomarkers will correlate with worse knee osteoarthritis x-ray findings, worse pain scores and worse physical function. These changes will be more significant in those exposed to trauma.
Summary
The BioMilOA study aims to understand the associations, and predictive value, of validated and experimental blood biomarkers to the development and progression of osteoarthritis in military personnel, both exposed and not exposed to significant trauma. In order to meet the second aim, data from the FU1 visit has been requested.
The hypothesis is that selected individual validated and experimental biomarkers will correlate with worse knee osteoarthritis x-ray findings, worse pain scores and worse physical function. These changes will be more significant in those exposed to trauma.
Serum samples will be analysed by Affinity Laboratory for a panel of 8 validated biomarkers. The values of these will be compared to baseline knee X-ray scores (Kellgren-Lawrence grade, joint space narrowing, osteophytes), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and 6-minute walk test (6MWT) and using regression to understand associations between biomarker value and radiographic OA, pain and function. Confounders, such as age, BMI, injury type, and mental health status, will be controlled for. Mental health status has been seen to influence subjective pain and physical limitation (specifically, those with worse mental health symptoms suffer worse pain and have more limitations) therefore will need to be factored into models for assessment of biomarkers to ensure that any effect is mitigated (1-3) A similar process will be undertaken at FU1 to understand predictive value (analysis plan to be developed and refined based on baseline analysis results). Further analysis will be performed on the SomaLogic data to understand the molecular signatures of particular mechanisms. A literature search has been undertaken to identify Soma aptamers of interest, and those requested are, or in the same family of, all proteins which have either been studied by a different research group or have a biological link to osteoarthritis development. This small subset of Soma proteins (n=486) will also be analysed concerning XR, pain and function to identify any mechanisms or new markers of interest (4-10).
Keywords
Medical Interventions, Analgesia, Chronic Pain, Cardiovascular