The aims of this study were to compare leukocyte relative telomere length (RTL) in knee osteoarthritis (OA) patients and healthy controls and to investigate associations between plasma angiogenic cytokine concentrations and leukocyte RTL.
Eighty knee OA patients and 60 age-matched controls were enrolled. Leukocyte RTL was assessed using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Angiogenic cytokines were measured by a multiplex immunoassay.
Leukocyte RTL in knee OA patients was significantly lower than that in healthy controls (1.1 ± 0.4 vs. 1.3 ± 0.6, P = 0.039). Plasma angiopoietin-2, follistatin, granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), interleukin-8 (IL-8), platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in knee OA patients were higher than those in controls (P < 0.01). Correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlations between leukocyte RTL and plasma levels of HGF (r = -0.377, P = 0.017), VEGF (r = -0.405, P = 0.009) and G-CSF (r = -0.347, P = 0.026). In contrast, plasma angiopoietin-2, follistatin, IL-8, leptin, platelet-derived growth factor-BB and PECAM-1 were not correlated with leukocyte RTL.
Telomere length was shortened in knee OA patients compared to healthy controls. Plasma HGF, VEGF and G-CSF were negatively correlated with leukocyte RTL, suggesting involvement of telomere shortening and these cytokines in knee OA.