ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2020
Profiling of inflammatory mediators in the synovial fluid related to pain in knee osteoarthritis.
Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 61 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
61 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 78 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Synovial Fluid Biomarkers in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Quantitative Evaluation Using BIPEDs Criteria.Cartilage · 2021Pooled it
- Identifying clinically relevant subgroups of patients with knee pain flares for ibuprofen treatment: a secondary analysis.Clinical rheumatology · 2025Trial
- Neuropathic-like pain in knee osteoarthritis: exploring differences in knee loading and inflammation. A cross-sectional study.European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine · 2024Trial
- Human synovial fluid interleukin-6, but not type II collagen breakdown, positively correlated with pain after anterior cruciate ligament injury and reconstruction.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2023Trial
- Intra-articular delivery of VEGF targeting miR-126-3p and miR-140-5p ameliorates synovitis and pain in a rat model of post-traumatic knee osteoarthritis.Journal of orthopaedic translation · 2026Article
- Critical Overview of Molecular Insights into Osteoarthritis and Therapeutic Targets: Cytokines, RANKL, MMPs, Adipokines and Phosphate Dysregulation.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026Review
- Synovial Fluid Characteristics and Pain Recovery Trajectory Following Rehabilitation in Patients with Meniscal Tears: A Retrospective Cohort Study.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Review
- Short-Term Sleep Disruption Does Not Modify Responses to Experimentally Induced Knee Pain in Healthy Individuals.European journal of pain (London, England) · 2026Article
- Differential Association of Inflammation With Pain and Physical Function in Knee Osteoarthritis by Race Focusing on Non-Hispanic Whites and Asian Americans: Pilot Study in Florida.Asian/Pacific Island nursing journal · 2026Article
- Article
- Paradigm shift in macrophage polarization in osteoarthritis: from M1/M2 imbalance to macrophage state reprogramming in the ageing immune microenvironment.Frontiers in immunology · 2026Review
- Neuropeptide Y signaling in osteoarthritis pain: neuroimmune mechanisms, joint remodeling, and translational opportunities.Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Traditional Chinese Medicine Bone-Setting Techniques Research Progress for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis.BioMed research international · 2026Review
- Effects of Warm-Needling Acupuncture Plus Tuina on Inflammatory and Cartilage Biomarkers in Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of pain research · 2026Review
- Stromal Vascular Fraction Gel for Osteoarthritis: Mechanisms and Therapeutic Benefits.Stem cells international · 2026Review
- Article
- Pain Phenotype in Knee Osteoarthritis: Implications for Mechanism-Based Therapy.Orthopaedic surgery · 2025Review
- Steamed ginger extract ameliorates the symptoms of osteoarthritis in monosodium iodoacetate-induced osteoarthritis rats.Nutrition research and practice · 2025Article
1 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundInflammatory mediators in the synovial fluid (SF) play critical roles in the initiation and development of pain in knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, data for inflammatory marker expression are conflicting, and the role of SF inflammatory mediators in neuropathic pain is not clear. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify SF inflammatory mediators associated with nociceptive and neuropathic pain in KOA.
methodsLevels of IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, macrophage colony-stimulating factor, MMP-3, MMP-13, metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs 5, calcitonin gene-related peptide, neuropeptide Y, substance P and bradykinin were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 86 patients. Nociceptive pain was assessed using the numeric rating scale (NRS), visual analog scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain score. Neuropathic pain was determined using the PainDETECT questionnaire. Moreover, knee function was evaluated by the WOMAC score and range of motion (ROM) assessments. Radiological grade was defined using the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) grading scale.
resultsPain scores measured using different methods correlated highly with each other. A worse K-L grade and knee function were associated with worse pain. Expression of IL-1β and IL-6 was increased in the early stage compared with the late stage. The NRS score correlated positively with age, K-L grade, and the WOMAC score and negatively with ROM and TNF-α expression. The VAS correlated positively with age, K-L grade, and the WOMAC score but negatively with ROM and levels of IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. The WOMAC pain score did not correlate with any of the inflammatory mediators measured; it correlated only with ROM. The PainDETECT score correlated only with the WOMAC score. Expression of other inflammatory mediators did not correlate with any of the pain scores.
conclusionsIL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α play critical roles in pain in the early stage of KOA and correlate with pain. The catabolic enzymes and neuropeptides measured do not correlate with nociceptive and neuropathic pain. New biomarkers related to pain in the late stage need to be further investigated.
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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.