Serum levels of MMP3 could be used as a potential biomarker for sports-induced knee osteoarthritis

Background: Evaluating the potential biomarkers for diagnosing knee osteoarthritis caused by sports activities. Methods: This was a body-split case-control study. We identified 25 eligible participants for our research with no other knee procedures besides meniscus removal. For the determination of serum Glycosaminoglycan (GAG) and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) levels, blood was taken from 25 eligible individuals using 3 simple 6 mL EDTA vacutainer tubes. Patients also had knee aspirations, both surgical and non-surgical. Out of the 25 attempts, a successful knee synovial fluid aspirate was obtained. Additionally, all 25 attempts to get a contralateral control knee aspirate were successful. The raw values of the cohorts' demographics, radiological, clinical, PROMs, and biomarkers of MMP3 and GAG. Results: The duration of pain was 4.52 ± 0.85 and 5.85 ± 1.22 in non-operated and operated individuals, respectively. The VSA Pain score was 48.74 ± 2.87 and 53.55 ± 3.39, and the Lequesne algofunctional index was 11.02 ± 1.29 and 13.36 ± 1.57 in non-operated and operated participants, respectively. A comparative examination of MMP-3 levels in the synovial fluid showed that the levels of MMP3 remain notably elevated in the affected knees (p= 0.01). Additionally, synovial GAG levels in the affected knee joint were dramatically reduced (p= 0.03). An inverse connection was seen between the levels of MMP-3 and GAGs in the synovial fluid when analysing all 25 samples from both non-affected and affected knees. The correlation coefficient (r) was -0.88, indicating a strong negative relationship. The p-value was 0.04, suggesting statistical significance. Conclusions: Our results suggest that MMP3 serum levels may be a simple blood test away from becoming a diagnostic tool for knee osteoarthritis and a possible predictor of the disease. To better assess athletes' joint health, it may be helpful to combine biomarkers with other diagnostic tools and have a comprehensive understanding of their athletic background.