A novel approach for longitudinal analysis of serum biomarkers of joint metabolism and knee injury in military officers
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: PURPOSE: To investigate the longitudinal relationships between serum biomarkers of joint metabolism, knee injury, and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) using novel methodologies. METHODS: Data were collected from military officers who enrolled as cadets between 2004-2009, with follow-up conducted between 2015-2017. Analyses included 234 officers who had no history of knee ligament/meniscal injury at the time of military academy matriculation, had serum biomarker measurements at matriculation and graduation, demographic data, and KOOS assessment at follow-up. Biomarkers included Collagen Type II (C2C) and Type I and II (C1,2C) collagenase-generated cleavage epitopes, C-terminal propeptide of Type II collagen (CPII), and C- and N-terminal telopeptides of type I collagen (CTX and NTX). Angle-based Joint and Individual Variation Explained (AJIVE) was used to determine demographic determinants of biomarker levels and individual modes of variation specific to biomarker levels at matriculation and graduation, stratified by sex. RESULTS: We confirmed known associations of joint metabolism biomarkers with age in both sexes and with smoking in males. Matriculation biomarker data in males suggested a protective biomarker profile characterized by high cartilage synthesis and low cleavage of type I and II collagen in association with healthy KOOS scores at follow-up. CPII measured at matriculation was negatively associated with incident injuries after adjustment for smoking status (p = 0.03, logistic regression), confirming results from AJIVE. CONCLUSION: These exploratory analyses suggest that CPII alone, or in combination with other joint metabolism biomarkers, may help identify individual risk of knee injury.
Source: PLoS ONE
Language: English
Subfield: Rheumatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,382
Funders: Directorate-General for Agriculture and Rural Development, UCSI University, Center for Cancer Research, Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, Association for Academic Surgery, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Wellcome Trust, Public Health Agency of Canada, Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation, Hospital for Special Surgery, Innovative Research Group Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, Bangladesh Agricultural University Research System, Michael Smith Health Research BC, National Institute for Health and Care Research, Royal Society, Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, Agence Nationale de la Recherche, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Nutricia Research Foundation, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Austrian Science Fund, China Postdoctoral Science Foundation, Novo Nordisk, Javna Agencija za Raziskovalno Dejavnost RS, China Scholarship Council, Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, King Khalid University, Department of Science and Technology, Hubei Provincial People's Government, Institut pour la Recherche en Santé Publique, Ministero dell'Università e della Ricerca, Mark Hughes Foundation, National Institutes of Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Elanco Animal Health, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council, Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Science and Engineering Research Board, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Korea Forest Service, Key Technologies Research and Development Program, National Key Research and Development Program of China, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, National Research, Development and Innovation Office, National Institute of Mental Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, Moonshot Research and Development Program
Awards: STepped Exercise Program for Knee Osteoarthritis: The STEP-KOA Study, G1836703638, Epidemiology of Jump-landing Movements and ACL Injury, G4109785237, Assessment of ultrasound features of knee osteoarthritis in a population-based community cohort, G4887431574, G513288951, NIAMS Multidisciplinary Clinical Research Center, G7560517810, G9000029574, G9000124664, G9000132415, Mentoring in Patient Oriented Research in Osteoarthritis
OpenAlex ID: W7126215936