Work

Immunonutritional biomarkers in osteoarthritis: mechanistic insights and prognostic potential

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most prevalent degenerative joint disease worldwide. Beyond structural injury to cartilage, synovium, and subchondral bone, OA is increasingly recognized as an immunometabolic disorder characterized by low-grade inflammation and dysregulated innate and adaptive immune responses. Nutritional biomarkers-derived from macro- and micronutrient status and metabolite signatures-can shape the OA inflammatory microenvironment by modulating macrophage polarization, T-cell subset balance, cytokine networks, and key signaling programs (e.g., NF-kappaB, JAK/STAT, NLRP3 inflammasome, and oxidative stress pathways), thereby influencing tissue catabolism and pain sensitization. This review reorganizes the literature around how clinically measurable nutritional biomarkers map onto immune-cell programs and core OA pathological processes, and critically appraises evidence strength and translational readiness. Most biomarker-OA links are supported primarily by mechanistic rationale and observational associations, while longitudinal and interventional validation remains limited and heterogeneous; key gaps include standardized assays and cutoffs, phenotype- and joint site-stratified prospective cohorts, and externally validated models demonstrating incremental prognostic utility beyond established clinical and imaging predictors.

Source: Frontiers in Immunology

DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2026.1769089

Authors: Jing Dan, Hua Ding, Lengtao Li, Qiang Wu

Institutions: Chengdu Sport University, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Sichuan University, West China Hospital of Sichuan University

Language: English

Topic: Osteoarthritis Treatment and Mechanisms

Subfield: Rheumatology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDGs: Good health and well-being, Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,801