ArticleBMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation2016
A pilot study on biomarkers for tendinopathy: lower levels of serum TNF-α and other cytokines in females but not males with Achilles tendinopathy.
Article in BMC sports science, medicine & rehabilitation, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical risk factors for Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review.British journal of sports medicine · 2019Pooled it
- Network Toxicology and Molecular Docking Analysis of Targets and Potential Mechanisms of PEEK-Induced Bone Resorption.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- TNF‑α induces premature senescence in tendon stem cells via the NF‑κB and p53/p21/cyclin E/CDK2 signaling pathways.International journal of molecular medicine · 2025Article
- Equine Embryonic Stem Cell-Derived Tenocytes are Insensitive to a Combination of Inflammatory Cytokines and Have Distinct Molecular Responses Compared to Primary Tenocytes.Stem cell reviews and reports · 2024Article
- Causal Associations of Obesity With Achilles Tendinopathy: A Two-Sample Mendelian Randomization Study.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2022Article
- Tenogenic Properties of Mesenchymal Progenitor Cells Are Compromised in an Inflammatory Environment.International journal of molecular sciences · 2018Article
- Cross platform analysis of transcriptomic data identifies ageing has distinct and opposite effects on tendon in males and females.Scientific reports · 2017Article
- Inflammatory mechanisms in tendinopathy - towards translation.Nature reviews. Rheumatology · 2017Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
4 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAchilles tendinopathy is a painful musculoskeletal condition that is common among athletes, and which limits training capacity and competitive performance. The lack of biomarkers for tendinopathy limits research into risk factors and also the evaluation of new treatments. Cytokines and growth factors involved in regulating the response of tendon cells to mechanical load have potential as biomarkers for tendinopathy.
methodsThis case-control study compared serum concentration of cytokines and growth factors (TNF-α, IL-1β, bFGF, PDFG-BB, IFN-γ, VEGF) between individuals with chronic Achilles tendinopathy and controls. These were measured in fasting serum from 22 individuals with chronic Achilles tendinopathy and 10 healthy controls. Results were analysed in relation to gender and physical activity pattern.
resultsTNF-α concentration was lower in the entire tendinopathy group compared with the entire control group; none of the other cytokines were significantly different. TNF-α levels were nevertheless highly correlated with the other cytokines measured, in most of the subgroups. Analysed by gender, TNF-α and PDGF-BB concentrations were lower in the female tendinopathy group but not the male tendinopathy group. A trend was seen for lower IL-1β in the female tendinopathy group. Physical activity was correlated with TNF-α, PDGF-BB and IL-1β to varying extents for control subgroups, but not for the female tendinopathy group. No correlations were seen with BMI or duration of symptoms.
conclusionsThis pilot study indicates a lower level of TNF-α and PDGF-BB, and to some extent IL-1β among females, but not males, in the chronic phase of Achilles tendinopathy. It is suggested that future studies on tendinopathy biomarkers analyse male and female data separately. The lack of correlation between cytokine level and physical activity in the female tendinopathy group warrants further study.
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