Does hsCRP provide insights into an inflammatory phenotype of knee osteoarthritis?
Authors' conclusion
Despite interest in identifying an inflammatory phenotype in OA, hsCRP levels do not reliably identify knees with inflammation.
Study context
- Population
- MOST Study participants with baseline knee MRIs and hsCRP assays (mean age 62, 52% female)
- Participants
- 792 participants
- Exposure
- hsCRP vs MRI inflammation
- Outcome
- Inflammation presence on MRI (Whole Organ MRI Score (WORMS) Hoffa's synovitis or effusion-synovitis score ≥2 in ≥1 of 3 locations)
- Follow-up
- Baseline
Methodological detailslogistic and linear regression, cubic spline regression, ROC curve, adjusted for age, sex and BMI
- Logistic and linear regression
- Cubic spline regression
- ROC curve
- Adjusted for age, sex and BMI
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Association of hsCRP levels with inflammation presence on knee MRI (Hoffa's synovitis or effusion-synovitis), adjusted for age, sex and BMI
hsCRP levels and inflammation presence: OR
0.99
hsCRP levels and inflammation presence: 95% CI
0.96-1.01
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Non-linear associations (cubic spline)
- Cubic spline regression did not reveal non-linear associations
ROC: predictive ability of hsCRP for MRI inflammation
- Poor predictive ability of hsCRP to identify knees with inflammation on MRI
Original publication
Does hsCRP provide insights into an inflammatory phenotype of knee osteoarthritis? Osteoarthritis Cartilage. Published 5 September 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →