Plasma Proteomics Reveals Persistent and Surgery-Responsive Molecular Signatures in Osteoarthritis Patients

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a progressive degenerative joint disorder characterized by cartilage degradation, synovial inflammation, and alterations in subchondral bone, ultimately leading to chronic pain and impaired mobility. This study aimed to identify plasma proteomic alterations in OA patients before and after arthroplasty in order to reveal biomarkers associated with both ongoing disease processes and postoperative recovery.
The study cohort consisted of eighteen individuals: eight OA patients undergoing total knee or hip arthroplasty and ten healthy controls matched for age, sex, and body mass index. Plasma samples were depleted of high-abundance proteins, enzymatically digested, and subsequently analyzed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) to characterize proteomic changes.

骨关节炎（Osteoarthritis, OA）是一种进行性退行性关节疾病，以软骨退变、滑膜炎症及软骨下骨结构改变为特征，最终可导致慢性疼痛与活动功能障碍。本研究旨在探究骨关节炎患者关节置换术前及术后的血浆蛋白质组学变化，以期揭示与疾病持续进程及术后恢复相关的生物标志物。
本研究队列共纳入18名受试者：8例接受全膝关节或全髋关节置换术的骨关节炎患者，以及10例年龄、性别与体质量指数相匹配的健康对照者。研究人员对血浆样本进行高丰度蛋白去除、酶解处理，随后采用液相色谱-串联质谱（LC-MS/MS）进行分析，以表征蛋白质组学变化。