Objective: We tested the potential of circulating galectin-1, interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6, and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) levels at baseline in individuals with knee pain as biomarkers for development of radiographic knee and/or hand osteoarthritis (OA). Design: This study comprised 212 individuals with knee pain from the Halland osteoarthritis cohort (HALLOA). Clinical characteristics and serum/plasma levels of galectin-1, IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF alpha were measured at baseline, and knee and hand radiographs were obtained at a two-year follow-up. The predictive value of circulating inflammatory markers and clinical variables at baseline was assessed using multinominal logistic regression for those who developed radiographic OA in knees only (n ​= ​25), in hands only (n ​= ​40), and in both knees and hands (n ​= ​43); the group who did not develop OA (n ​= ​104) was used as reference. Correlations were assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficients. Results: As expected, age was identified as a risk factor for having radiographic knee and/or hand OA at the two-year follow-up. Baseline circulating galectin-1 levels did not associate with developing radiographic knee OA but associated with developing radiographic hand OA (odds ratio (OR) for a 20% increased risk: 1.14, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.29) and both radiographic knee and hand OA (OR for a 20% increased risk: 1.18, 95% CI 1.05–1.30). However, baseline IL-1 beta, IL-6, and TNF alpha did not associate with developing radiographic knee and/or hand OA. Conclusion: Non-age adjusted circulating galectin-1 is superior to IL-6, IL-1 beta, and TNF alpha in predicting radiographic hand but not knee OA. © 2024 The Author(s)

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to study associations between chronic widespread pain, widespread pain sensitivity, leptin, and metabolic factors in individuals with knee pain. A secondary aim was to study these associations in a subgroup of individuals with normal BMI.

METHOD: This cross-sectional study included 265 individuals. The participants were categorised into three different pain groups: Chronic widespread pain (CWP), chronic regional pain (ChRP), or no chronic pain (NCP). The pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) were assessed using computerised pressure algometry. Low PPTs were defined as having PPTs in the lowest third of all tender points. Leptin and metabolic factors such as BMI, visceral fat area (VFA), lipids, and glucose were also assessed.

RESULT: Sixteen per cent reported CWP, 15% had low PPTs, and 4% fulfilled both criteria. Those who fulfilled the criteria for CWP were more often women, more obese, and had increased leptin levels. In logistic regression, adjusted for age and gender, leptin was associated with fulfilling criteria for CWP, OR 1.015 (95% CI 1.004-1.027, p = 0.008). In logistic regression, adjusted for age and gender, leptin was associated with low PPTs, OR 1.016 (95% CI 1.004-1.029, p = 0.012). Leptin was also associated with fulfilling both criteria, adjusted for age, sex, and visceral fat area (VFA), OR 1.030 (95% CI 1.001-1.060), p = 0.040.

CONCLUSION: Leptin was associated with fulfilling the combined criteria for chronic widespread pain and low PPTs, even after adjusting for the visceral fat area (VFA). Longitudinal studies are needed to study the causal relationships between leptin and the development of widespread pain.

Objective: Metabolic factors have been shown to be associated to severe radiographic knee osteoarthritis (RKOA). However, more knowledge is needed in early clinical knee osteoarthritis (KOA). The aim was to study associations between metabolic factors and radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) in individuals with knee pain. A second aim was to study associations between metabolic factors and RKOA in those with normal BMI and in those overweight/obese, respectively. Method: This cross-sectional study included 282 individuals with knee pain (without cruciate ligament injury) and aged 30–67 years, and 70% women. Waist circumference, body mass index (BMI), proportion of fat and visceral fat area (VFA) were assessed. RKOA was defined as Ahlbäck grade 1 in at least one knee. Fasting blood samples were taken and triglycerides, cholesterol (total, low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL)), C-reactive protein (CRP), glucose, HbA1C were analysed. Metabolic syndrome was defined in accordance with the International Diabetes Federation (IDF). Associations were analysed by logistic regression. Results: Individuals with RKOA were older, had higher BMI, higher VFA, larger waist circumference and had increased total cholesterol, triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, but not fasting glucose. There was no difference between the group with RKOA vs. non-radiographic group regarding the presence of metabolic syndrome. In a subgroup analysis of individuals with normal BMI (n = 126), those with RKOA had higher VFA, more central obesity, higher levels of CRP and total cholesterol, compared with individuals without RKOA. In individuals with obesity, age was the only outcome associated to RKOA. Conclusion: There were clear associations between metabolic factors and RKOA in individuals with knee pain, also in those with normal BMI. In individuals with obesity age was the only variable associated to RKOA. Trial registration:: clinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04928170. © 2022, The Author(s).

Purpose: The overall objective in this study is to investigate the early development of radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) and its association with hand or/and knee OA, metabolic diseases, biomarkers, chronic pain, physical function and daily physical activity types.

Participants: The Halland osteoarthritis (HALLOA) cohort is a longitudinal cohort study that includes individuals with knee pain in the southwest of Sweden. Enrolment took place from 2017 to 2019. The inclusion criteria were current knee pain, with no former known radiographic knee OA and no cruciate ligament rupture or rheumatological disorder. The participants were recruited: (1) when seeking care for knee pain in primary healthcare or (2) by advertisements in local newspapers. There are 306 individuals included in the study, mean age (SD) 51.7 (8.7) years and 69% are women. The baseline and follow-ups include clinical tests, radiographical examinations, blood samples, metabolic measures, pain pressure thresholds, tests of physical functions, daily physical activity types and patient-reported outcomes.

Findings to date: There were associations between metabolic factors and radiographic knee OA, even in those with normal body mass index at baseline. In addition, clinical hand OA was positively associated with fasting plasma glucose. We also found that modifiable factors as increased visceral fat and total body fat were associated with increased pain sensitivity among individuals with knee pain.

Future plans: By studying possible pathophysiological mechanisms of OA over time, we aim to provide new insights on OA progression, identify usable preventive measures helping the clinicians in the management of the disease and improve health for the patients. It is also important to study the development of chronic pain in OA, to get tools to identify individuals at risk and to be able to offer them treatment.

 © Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. 

Background/Objectives: Obesity-related adverse health consequences are closely associated with abdominal obesity. Risk factors for overweight and obesity have been studied but there is a lack of information regarding risk factors for abdominal obesity, especially in the preschool population. The aim of the present study was to examine early life risk factors for an increased waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) in children at five years of age and, in addition, to investigate if these risk factors also were associated with overweight or obesity. 

Subjects/Methods: The study population comprised 1,540 children from a population-based longitudinal birth cohort study that included 2,666 Swedish children. The children were included if they had complete growth data for the analyses used in this study. Children were classified as having WHtR standard deviation scores (SDS) ≥ 1 or < 1 at five years of age, according to Swedish reference values, and as having body mass index standard deviation scores (BMI_SDS) for overweight/obesity, or normal weight/underweight according to the International Obesity Task Force criteria. Associations between child-related, socioeconomic status-related, parental health-related and nutrition- and feeding practice-related factors during the first two years and a WHtR_SDS ≥ 1 or a BMI_SDS for overweight/obesity at five years were investigated with logistic regression analyses. 

Results: At five years of age, 15% of the children had WHtR_SDS ≥ 1 and 11% had overweight or obesity. In multivariable analyses, rapid weight gain (RWG) during 0-6 months (OR: 1.90, 95% CI: 1.23–2.95, p=0.004), maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (1.06, 1.01–1.11, p=0.019) and paternal BMI (1.11, 1.01–1.21, p=0.028) were associated with WHtR_SDS ≥ 1. RWG during 0-6 months (2.53, 1.53–4.20, p<0.001), 6-12 months (2.82, 1.37–5.79, p=0.005), and maternal pre-pregnancy BMI (1.11, 1.06–1.17, p<0.001) were associated with overweight or obesity.

Conclusions: Early risk factors, including rapid weight gain, are associated with increased WHtRSDS and overweight or obesity at 5 years of age. Preventive interventions should target early RWG and parental overweight and obesity. 

Background: Musculoskeletal pain and its risk factors are rarely assessed in studies on adolescent athletes. The aim was to identify risk factors at baseline that were associated with the persistence or development of musculoskeletal pain at a two-year follow-up in adolescent sport school students, and to study cross-sectional associations at follow-up between musculoskeletal pain and sports performance.

Methods: Sport school students (79 boys and 52 girls, aged 14 years at baseline) were divided into infrequent (never–monthly) or frequent (weekly–almost daily) pain groups, based on frequency of pain using a pain mannequin. Logistic regression analyses were performed to study longitudinal associations between frequent pain at follow-up and baseline variables: pain group, number of regions with frequent pain, health status by EQ-5D, maturity offset (pre, average, or post peak height velocity), and sports (contact or non-contact). Linear regression analyses were used to study cross-sectional associations between pain groups and 20-m sprint, agility T-test, counter-movement jump, and grip strength at follow-up. Results were stratified by sex.

Results: A higher percentage of girls than boys reported frequent pain at follow-up (62% vs. 37%; p = 0.005). In boys, frequent pain at follow-up was associated with being pre peak height velocity at baseline (OR 3.884, CI 1.146–13.171; p = 0.029) and participating in non-contact sports (OR 3.429, CI 1.001–11.748; p = 0.050). In girls, frequent pain at follow-up was associated with having frequent pain in two or more body regions at baseline (OR 3.600, CI 1.033–12.542; p = 0.044), having a worse health status at baseline (OR 3.571, CI 1.026–12.434; p = 0.045), and participating in non-contact sports (OR 8.282, CI 2.011–34.116; p = 0.003). In boys, frequent pain was associated with worse performances in 20-m sprint and counter-movement jump, but not in agility T-test and grip strength.

Conclusions: Baseline risk factors for having frequent pain at follow-up were late maturation in boys, frequent pain and worse health status in girls, and participation in non-contact sports in both sexes. Boys with pain performed worse in sports tests. Coaches and school health-care services should pay attention to the risk factors and work towards preventing pain from becoming persistent. © 2022, The Author(s).