Osteoarthritis pain inversely correlates with histidine and glutamine following CSF and serum profiling
Authors' conclusion
Osteoarthritis is associated with a distinct pattern of peripheral and central metabolic disturbance. Histidine and glutamine emerge as promising biomarkers related to pain and clinical severity
Study context
- Population
- Patients with OA and healthy pain-free controls; CSF and serum
- Participants
- 81 vs 70
- Exposure
- OA vs healthy pain-free controls
- OAn = 81
- Healthy pain-free controlsn = 70reference
- Outcome
- Separation between OA and controls (classification accuracy)
Methodological detailsmetabolomic profiling (proton NMR spectroscopy), targeted protein assays for inflammatory mediators, OPLS-DA, adjusted for age and BMI
- Metabolomic profiling (proton NMR spectroscopy)
- Targeted protein assays for inflammatory mediators
- OPLS-DA
- Adjusted for age and BMI
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Classification accuracy, serum
87%
Classification accuracy, CSF
89%
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Combined metabolomic and inflammatory protein data, diagnostic accuracy
- Diagnostic accuracy
- 90%
- Remained significant after matching for age and BMI
Serum histidine and glutamine vs clinical outcomes
- Reductions consistent across subgroups, incl. stratification by pain severity
- Inversely correlated with pain intensity, disability, sleep disturbance and overall symptom impact
- More markedly altered in women, who also reported greater symptom burden
Original publication
Osteoarthritis pain inversely correlates with histidine and glutamine following CSF and serum profiling. Arthritis Res Ther. Published 19 June 2026. doi:10.
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