Metabolomic Profile Comparison of Osteoarthritic and Traumatically Injured Synovial Joints

Abstract

The widespread prevalence of degenerative joint diseases, such as osteoarthritis, characterized as a leading cause of disability, affects thousands of people around the world. Post-traumatic arthritis is a joint condition following joint injuries such as fractures or dislocations. The risk of developing arthritis is higher for people who have suffered an injury to their joints than for those who have never experienced such an injury. The exact mechanisms causing joint degradation remain unknown. Recent studies have applied metabolomics to the study of OA, and several metabolism-related pathways, as well as specific metabolic markers, have been identified as contributing factors. Although OA and post-traumatic OA are common across the world and have been extensively studied, only a partial understanding exists of the metabolites responsible for both. . In this study, 13 different patients' synovial fluid samples will be collected. Seven contain the osteoarthritis pathology, one is from a joint that has undergone traumatic injury, and five are healthy control samples. By comparing the synovial fluid of the two experimental categories to controls, this study aims to identify possible differences and similarities in metabolite characteristics and populations in the biofluid. A LC-MS analysis will be performed on the samples and metabolite features that distinguish between cohorts will be identified using univariate and multivariate statistical methods. The study will employ pathway enrichment analyses to identify metabolic pathways impacted by injury and osteoarthritis. Biomarkers explored in this research may help diagnose OA and detect early symptoms associated with OA after a traumatic injury.