Gene expression profiles from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of osteoarthritis patients and healthy controls

By performing a comprehensive exploration of peripheral blood by microarray analysis from a subset of the Genetics osteoARthritis and Progression (GARP) study in comparison with sex and age-matched healthy controls we have identified disease specific gene expression networks. Our data hint at the relevance of apoptosis as an etiological factor in osteoarthritis onset, thereby qualifying expression profiling of blood as a useful tool to understand the underlying molecular mechanisms of osteoarthritis. Case-control study comparing gene expression profiles generated with total messenger RNA obtained from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of controls with that of osteoarthritis (OA) patients from the GARP study. The GARP study consists in Dutch Caucasian sib pairs with symptomatic OA at multiple joint locations and has been described previously by Riyazi et al (Ann Rheum Dis 2005;64:438-43).