FABP4 as a biomarker for knee osteoarthritis

Biomark Med. 2018 Feb;12(2):107-118. doi: 10.2217/bmm-2017-0207.

Abstract

Aim: To explore the role of an adipokine-termed fatty acid-binding protein 4 (FABP4) in osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Patients with primary knee OA and non-OA controls were included. Paired tissues including plasma, synovial fluid (SF), subcutaneous fat and infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) were harvested during surgery. FABP4 concentration was determined by ELISA.

Results: Plasma FABP4 increased significantly with OA stage (n = 263). OA patients (n = 38) had significantly higher plasma and SF FABP4 than non-OA patients (n = 29). FABP4 level of IPFP was positively correlated with SF FABP4.

Conclusion: OA patients had significantly high systemic and local FABP4, and IPFP may be the main source of FABP4 in synovial cavity. FABP4 may be a promising biomarker for OA.

Keywords: FABP4; infrapatellar fat pad; osteoarthritis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Area Under Curve
  • Biomarkers / blood
  • Biomarkers / metabolism*
  • Body Mass Index
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / blood
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee / diagnosis*
  • Osteoarthritis, Knee / pathology
  • ROC Curve
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Synovial Fluid / metabolism

Substances

  • Biomarkers
  • FABP4 protein, human
  • Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins