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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2008 Apr;56(4):644-51.
doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2007.01636.x. Epub 2008 Feb 28.

Inflammatory biomarkers and physical function in older, obese adults with knee pain and self-reported osteoarthritis after intensive weight-loss therapy

Gary D Miller  1 , Barbara J Nicklas, Richard F Loeser
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Inflammatory biomarkers and physical function in older, obese adults with knee pain and self-reported osteoarthritis after intensive weight-loss therapy

Gary D Miller et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008 Apr.

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the relationships between proinflammatory biomarkers and self-reported and performance-based physical function and to examine the effect of weight loss on these markers of inflammation.

Design: Randomized, longitudinal, clinical study comparing subjects eating an energy-restricted diet and participating in exercise training with a control group.

Setting: Community-base participants for the Physical Activity, Inflammation and Body Composition Trial.

Participants: Eighty-seven obese (body mass index (BMI) >30.0 kg/m(2)) adults aged 60 and older with knee pain and self-report of osteoarthritis.

Measurements: Inflammatory biomarkers (interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), C-reactive protein, and soluble receptors for TNFalpha (sTNFR1 and sTNFR2)) and self-reported (Western Ontario and McMaster University Osteoarthritis Index questionnaire) and performance-based (6-minute walk distance and stair climb time) measures of physical function at baseline and 6 months.

Results: Mean (standard error of the mean) weight loss was 8.7% (0.8%) in the intervention group, compared with 0.0% (0.7%) in the control group. sTNFR1 was significantly less in the intervention group than in the control group at 6 months. sTNFR1 and sTNFR2 predicted stair climb time at baseline. Change across the 6-month intervention for sTNFR2 was an independent predictor for change in 6-minute walk distance.

Conclusion: These results indicate that an intensive weight-loss intervention in older obese adults with knee pain can help improve inflammatory biomarkers and that changes in these concentrations showed associations with physical function.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The editor in chief has reviewed the conflict of interest checklist and has determined the authors have no conflict of interest with this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Change in concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers from baseline to 6 months. *Indicates P≤.05 for change in concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers between weight stable and weight loss groups. IL-6 = interleukin-6; TNFα = tumor necrosis factor alpha; CRP = c-reactive protein; sTNFR1 = soluble TNF receptor 1.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Scatterplot of changes in log sTNFR2 and 6-minute walk distance. Groups are combined and data are presented together. sTNFR2 = soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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