Background Overweight is one of the main modifiable risk factor for osteoarthritis (OA). There some data about relationship between overweight and OA progression, hypertension, dyslipidemia, impaired glucose tolerance. We suppose these diseases are linked by common pathogenetic mechanisms. Previous studies have shown that weight loss results in lower levels of adipokines and proinflammatory cytokines. We suppose that visfatin is involved in the processes of degradation of cartilage and development of inflammation in OA by stimulating of interleukin-6 and 8, tumor necrosis factor, metalloproteinase-1 and 3 production. We hypothesized that weight loss in patients with OA may reduce visfatin concentration in serum and severity of inflammation.

Objectives To study dynamics of visfatin level and markers of OA severity after decreasing of body weight.

Methods We observed 80 OA patients (52 females and 28 males) aged 36 to 78 years with a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 30 kg/m². Visfatin level in serum was determined by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (RaiBiotech, cat No. EIA-VIS-1) with an interval of 3 months. All patients was encouraged to have hypocaloric diet with low content of animal fat and therapeutic exercise. Positive dynamics to reduce body weight by 5 kg or more for 3 months was achieved in 18 patients (23%).

Results The average level of visfatin in patients with OA was 4,18±0,18 ng/ml (M±m). Patients were divided into two groups: the first group - patients who were able to reduce body weight by 5 kg or more (n=18.), The second group - patients without weight loss and with the reduction of body weight less than 5 kg (n=62). The patients of first and second groups had no significant differences in the primary estimated parameters. We noted significant improvement of pain (VAS) at rest and while walking, Lequesne and WOMAC indices, CRP level in 1-at and 2-nd groups. We revealed decreasing of of visfatin level, basal glucose level, high density lipoproteins, systolic blood pressure (SBP) in 1-st group. The patients who were able to reduce body weight by 5 kg or more had better dynamics of these indices than 2-nd group ones.

Conclusions The decreasing of body weight in patients with OA of more than 5 kg improves the clinical course of OA, reduce visfatin, CRP, basal glucose levels. There may be pathogenetic links between visfatin, impaired metabolism and overweight in osteoarthritis.

References

1. Adipokines as new laboratory markers in osteoarthritis/Yury R. Akhverdyan, Boris V. Zavodovsky, Larisa E. Seewordova et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2013;72(Suppl 3):702.

2. Significance of serum resistin determination in patients with osteoarthritis/B. Zavodovsky, D. Popov, L. Seewordova et al. Ann Rheum Dis 2011;70(Suppl 3):381.

Disclosure of Interest None declared