Trial reportInternational journal of biometeorology2017
Can balneotherapy modify microRNA expression levels in osteoarthritis? A comparative study in patients with knee osteoarthritis.
Trial report in International journal of biometeorology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical efficacy of medical hydrology: an umbrella review.International journal of biometeorology · 2021Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Efficacy of self-management exercise program with spa therapy for behavioral management of knee osteoarthritis: research protocol for a quasi-randomized controlled trial (GEET one).BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2018Trial
- Exosomes: Roles and Therapeutic Potential in Pain.Biomedicines · 2026Review
- A sulfate-arsenical-ferruginous water affects apoptosis, oxidative stress and the gene expression of inflammatory mediators and of a panel of MicroRNA in IL-1β stimulated human osteoarthritic chondrocytes.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Intertwined roles of microRNA-155 and metformin in osteoarthritis: Novel potential diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic modulators.World journal of orthopedics · 2025Review
- Cryotherapy and thermotherapy in the management of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis: A comprehensive review.Fundamental research · 2025Review
- Can Circulating MicroRNAs, Cytokines, and Adipokines Help to Differentiate Psoriatic Arthritis from Erosive Osteoarthritis of the Hand? A Case-Control Study.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Article
- Review
- Causal relationship between modifiable risk factors and knee osteoarthritis: a Mendelian randomization study.Frontiers in medicine · 2024Article
- The Potential Role of Spa Therapy in Managing Frailty in Rheumatic Patients: A Scoping Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- A Novel Approach to Assess Balneotherapy Effects on Musculoskeletal Diseases-An Open Interventional Trial Combining Physiological Indicators, Biomarkers, and Patients' Health Perception.Geriatrics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Balneotherapy year in review 2021: focus on the mechanisms of action of balneotherapy in rheumatic diseases.Environmental science and pollution research international · 2022Review
- The efficacy of balneotherapy, mud therapy and spa therapy in patients with osteoarthritis: an overview of reviews.International journal of biometeorology · 2021Review
- Effects of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells loaded with graphene oxide granular lubrication on cytokine levels in animal models of knee osteoarthritis.International orthopaedics · 2021Article
- Immunological Events, Emerging Pharmaceutical Treatments and Therapeutic Potential of Balneotherapy on Osteoarthritis.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Article
- Spa therapy and rehabilitation of musculoskeletal pathologies: a proposal for best practice in Italy.International journal of biometeorology · 2020Article
- Effect of mud-bath therapy on the innate/inflammatory responses in elderly patients with osteoarthritis: a discussion of recent results and a pilot study on the role of the innate function of monocytes.International journal of biometeorology · 2020Article
- Rehabilitation in an Italian thermal setting: a new therapeutic strategy for patients with musculoskeletal disability-the results of an Italian survey.International journal of biometeorology · 2020Article
- Efficacy of balneological outpatient treatment (hydrotherapy and peloidotherapy) for the management of chronic low back pain: a retrospective study.International journal of biometeorology · 2019Observational
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate the whole-blood levels of miR-155, miR-223, miR-181a, miR-146a, and miR-let-7e in patients with bilateral knee osteoarthritis (OA) after a cycle of mud-bath therapy (MBT). Thirty-two patients with knee OA defined by the ACR criteria were included. Twenty-one patients (MBT group) were daily treated with a combination of local mud-packs at 42 °C and baths in mineral water, at 37 °C for 15 min, for 12 applications over a period of 2 weeks, in addition to standard therapy; 11 patients (control group) continued their conventional treatment alone. Global pain score evaluated by visual analog scale (VAS), WOMAC subscores, and microRNA expression were evaluated at baseline and after 2 weeks. Peripheral whole blood was collected into PAXgene™ Blood RNA tubes, stored at - 80 °C, and total RNA was extracted. The expression of miR-155, miR-223, miR-181a, miR-146a, and miR-let-7e was determined by qRT-PCR. After MBT, we observed a statistically significant improvement of clinical parameters and a significant decrease of miR-155, miR-181a, miR-146a (p < 0.001), and miR-223 (p < 0.01) expression levels. No clinical and biochemical modifications were detected in the control group. No significant variations of miR-let-7e were shown in both groups after 2 weeks. In conclusion, MBT can modify the expression of miR-155, miR-181a, miR-146a, and miR-223, which are upregulated in OA. It could be due to the heat stress and the hydrostatic pressure, since some miRNAs were found to be temperature- and mechano-responsive. Further studies are needed to better explain the mechanism of action of MBT and the role of miRNAs in OA.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.