Osteoarthritis 'could be re-categorised as two distinct groups of disease'

Osteoarthritis could be treated more effectively in the future by dividing patients into two distinct disease groups, according to new research. TheArthritis Research UK-funded study, carried out by the University of Manchester, has discovered that the current definition of osteoarthritis may actually encompass two separate groups with different disease activity patterns, and that developing new treatments for both versions may be more effective than the current one-size-fits-all approach. Two different patterns of disease activity Published in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, the research involved a mathematical analysis of thousands of genes expressed in the cartilage of 60 individual patients with knee osteoarthritis, with samples separated into categories based on the level of active metabolism in the diseased tissue. Key genetic differences were found between the two groups of patients that emerged, with a list of biomarkers also developed that could be used to help distinguish between them by analysing the synovial fluid, which is found in the cavities of joints. It is thought that the variations between these two categories could be used to predict different responses to treatment, and may explain why treating osteoarthritis as a single condition has proven unproductive. Potential implications Researchers hope this finding will pave the way for future research into newdrugs and treatments that are targeted to each group, making it easier to design effective drug t...
Source: Arthritis Research UK - Category: Rheumatology Source Type: news