Association between serum levels of the proinflammatory protein S100A8/A9 and clinical and structural characteristics of patients with established knee, hip, and hand osteoarthritis

Objectives: To explore the association between S100A8/A9 serum levels with clinical and structural characteristics of patients with established knee, hip, or hand osteoarthritis (OA).Method: A cross-sectional exploratory study was conducted with 162 OA patients. Measures for pain, stiffness, and function included the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) questionnaire or the Australian Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand (AUSCAN) Index and for structural abnormalities, osteophytes and joint space narrowing grades. The association between S100A8/A9 and clinical or structural characteristics was analysed using linear regression or logistic regression where appropriate.Results: The mean age of the OA patients was 56 years, 71% were female, and 61% had a Kellgren and Lawrence (KL) score ≥ 2. The serum S100A8/A9 level did not differ between knee, hip, and hand OA patients and no association was found between serum S100A8/A9 and clinical characteristics. The serum S100A8/A9 level was negati...