Gambling on putative biomarkers of osteoarthritis and osteochondrosis by equine synovial fluid proteomics

Osteoarthritis in horses - Part 1: relationship between clinical and radiographic examination for the diagnosis

“…Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease and, occasionally, as osteoarthrosis, is considered an important locomotor disorder that affects many species, and is particularly common in humans and horses (Peloso et al 1994;McIIwraith 2005b;van Weeren and de Grauw 2010;Ferris et al 2011;Chiaradia et al 2012).…”

“…Early intervention in cases of OA may be possible after trauma. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the biochemical mechanisms (Chiaradia et al 2012) that occur in the joint. Chondrocyte hypertrophy, the increased production of extracellular matrix molecules and the remodeling of bones, may occur (Andia et al 2012).…”

“…The possibility of using SF as a tool to investigate initial changes is very positive for the early diagnosis of the disease. According to Chiaradia et al (2012), the volume of SF may be correlated with OA. Thus, there is the possibility of using SF to evaluate pathophysiological changes in various stages of subclinical disease.…”

Osteoarthritis in horses - Part 2: a review of the intra-articular use of corticosteroids as a method of treatment

“…Animal models are considered an important complementary and substitutive option for humans in the investigation of OA pathogenesis because animal studies offer information about the pathophysiology of the disorder, allowing the development of drugs and biological markers that contribute to the diagnosis and prognosis (Aigner et al 2010). Research with horses, considered an excellent trial model for musculoskeletal diseases (van Schie et al 2000;Chiaradia et al 2012), may be of value in determining the ideal treatment, considering the frequency of OA in the species (McIIwraith 2005;Goodrich and Nixon 2006) and the availability of well-defined experimental models of OA induction. The use of some species allows the study of early pathophysiological events, which is essential for determining treatment and for the research of new therapies (McIIwraith et al 2012b).…”

“…Because the horse is involved in occupational and sport activities, it is considered a good animal model for human articular diseases (Aigner et al 2010). According to Chiaradia et al (2012), data obtained from this species can "provide suggestive information for tentative biomedical extrapolations", thereby overcoming the limitations on the size of the joint and "workload that are typical of other small animal models". Therefore, in vivo and in vitro studies conducted in horses are necessary because, as mentioned, these animals are models for human joint disorders.…”