Identification of serological biomarker profiles associated with total joint replacement in osteoarthritis patients. Issue 6 (June 2017) - Arends, R.H.G.P.
Summary: Objective: Establish a biomarker panel associated with all-cause total joint replacement (TJR) through identification of patients with osteoarthritis (OA) who do or do not progress to TJR and investigate effects of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Design: Serum samples from patients enrolled in phase III trials of tanezumab who experienced TJR ( n = 174) or matched patients who did not ( n = 321) were analyzed for bone, cartilage, soft tissue, and inflammation markers. Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was used to identify biomarker phenotypes associated with TJR. Results: At baseline, biomarker combinations for patients who did not use NSAIDs before starting tanezumab and used NSAIDs during tanezumab treatment <90 days ("nonNSAID"), identified 77% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 71–84%) of patients who experienced TJR and 77% (95% CI: 65–86%) who did not over a 6-month study period (on average). These biomarker combinations increased odds of identifying patients to remain free of a TJR by 3.3-fold. In patients who used NSAIDs continuously (during screening and ≥90 days during tanezumab treatment), 64% (95% CI: 54–73%) who had TJR and 75% (95% CI: 68–83%) who did not were identified by biomarker combinations different from nonNSAID patients, with an increase in odds of identifying patients to remain free of a TJR by two-fold. Conclusions: Although validation on other cohorts is necessary, biomarkers may assist in identifying patients who will need TJR. The profiles suggest NSAID use increases importance of bone metabolism in TJR pathology.