The Effect of Acute Knee Injuries and Related Knee Surgery on Serum Levels of Pro- and Anti-inflammatory Lipid Mediators and Their Associations With Knee Symptoms.

backgroundDespite an acute knee injury being a major risk factor for osteoarthritis, the factors that initiate and maintain this risk of longer-term knee symptoms are poorly understood. Bioactive lipids derived from omega-3 and -6 polyunsaturated fatty acids have key roles in the regulation of the inflammatory response and have been linked to joint damage and osteoarthritis pain in translational models. HYPOTHESIS: There would be associations between systemic levels of bioactive lipids and knee symptoms longitudinally after an acute knee injury and related knee surgery. STUDY

designControlled laboratory study.

methodsThis study analyzed a subset of young, active adults who had sustained an acute knee injury (recruited via a surgical care pathway) and healthy age- and sex-matched controls. Surgery, if performed, was conducted after the baseline serum sample was taken and before the 3-month and 2-year visits. Liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry of 41 bioactive lipids was carried out in sera of (1) 47 injured participants (median age, 28 years) collected at baseline (median, 24 days after injury), 3 months, and 2 years, along with the Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score, and (2) age- and sex-matched controls.

resultsLevels of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (

conclusionThe profile of pro-resolving versus pro-inflammatory lipids at baseline suggests an initial activation of pro-resolution pathways, followed by the later activation of pro-inflammatory pathways. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: In this largely surgically managed cohort, the association of soluble epoxide hydrolase metabolites, the DHETs, with more severe knee symptoms at 2 years provides a rationale for further investigation into the role of this pathway in persisting knee symptoms in this population, including potential therapeutic strategies.