Plasma Adipokine Levels and Their Association with Overall Burden of Painful Joints among Individuals with Hip and Knee Osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association between plasma adipokine levels and the burden of painful joints among individuals with hip and knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: 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. RESULTS: 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). CONCLUSION: Findings support the likelihood of a systemic-dependent sex-specific pain burden among individuals with OA.