الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Osteoarthritis is a common articular degenerative disorder that affect mainly the knee joints. The most common form is primary OA. It is a common cause of musculoskeletal disability in the world. In industrialized societies OA is the leading cause of physical disability, impaired quality of life and increase in health care usage. It is not just a weight-loading disease but is also a multifactorial degenerative joint disease involving metabolic and biochemical factors and genetic factors.
Studies have shown that IL-15 may contribute to the destruction of cartilage and bone in the disease process of arthritis.
Interleukin-15 is a pro-inflammatory cytokine. It has a role in the regulation of T-cells and NK cells activation and proliferation. IL-15 could be considered a potential biomarker for primary knee OA. There are scanty studies that assessed the role of IL-15 in primary knee OA and its relation to OA severity and progression.
The aim of the study was to assess the serum level of IL-15 in primary knee OA patients and assess its relation to clinical severity, functional disabilities and radiological grading of primary knee OA.
The current cross-sectional study was carried on two groups. The first one included 40 patients with primary knee OA diagnosed according to clinical and radiographic criteria of the ACR. All the patients were subjected to complete knee clinical examination. Western Ontario and Mcmaster University Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) was used to assess severity of self-reported pain, stiffness and physical function limitation. Health Assessment Questionnaire-Disability Index (HAQ-DI) was used to assess functional activities. Disease severity was assessed by radiological K/L grading system.
The second group consisted of 40 apparently healthy control subjects; matched regarding age and sex. Serum IL-15 level was assessed in both groups.
Interleukin-15 serum level was found to be significantly higher in patients with primary knee OA compared to the healthy control subjects, and there was a statistical significant positive correlation between serum level of IL-15 and WOMAC pain, stiffness, function subscales, WOMAC total score and radiological severity of knee OA assessed by K/L grading scale. In addition to the statistically significant positive correlation between serum IL-15 level and HAQ-DI score.
Conclusions of the study include that serum IL-15 is elevated in primary knee OA. It is positively correlated with pain, stiffness, functional disabilities, WOMAC total score, HAQ-DI score, as well as, radiological K/L grade. These suggest that IL-15 has an important critical role in the pathogenesis of primary knee OA related pain, stiffness and joint damage.