To investigate the association between plasma adipokine levels and the burden of painful joints among individuals with hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA).
Adipokines (leptin, adiponectin, adipsin, resistin) were determined by ELISA (n = 78). Individuals reported painful joints on a homunculus. Associations were examined by sex-stratified Poisson analyses.
Adjusted for age, body mass index, and hip/knee OA, higher leptin and adiponectin and lower adipsin levels were associated with greater painful joint burden (i.e., counts) among women (p < 0.01). Among men, higher resistin levels were associated with lower counts (p = 0.03).
Findings support the likelihood of a systemic-dependent sex-specific pain burden among individuals with OA.