Prospective study of the effect of a glucosamine hydrochloride and chondroitin sulfate combination on systemic inflammation parameters in patients with knee osteoarthritis (report 2)
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Clinical Trial
Abstract: Objective: to evaluate the effect of a combination of glucosamine hydrochloride (GH) 500 mg and chondroitin sulfate (CS) 500 mg on systemic inflammation parameters in patients with inflammatory (IP) and metabolic (MP) phenotypes of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Material and methods. At the first stage of the study, which lasted 3 months, the efficacy of Artra® was evaluated in 70 patients with a definite diagnosis of stage II–III knee OA and walking pain ≥4 points on the numerical rating scale (NRS). All patients received Artra® and topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as needed. Changes in NRS pain, the WOMAC index, and patient global health assessment using a visual analog scale were determined. At the second stage of the study, the efficacy of Artra® was analyzed in two patient subgroups: those with the metabolic phenotype of OA (n=29) and those with the inflammatory phenotype of OA (n=12). CRP levels were measured in all patients at visits 1 and 3; in 22 patients, serum concentrations of 17 cytokines, chemokines, and growth factors were also measured at baseline and after 3 months. Results and discussion . After a 3-month course of therapy, a statistically significant (p<0.05) reduction was observed in NRS pain (median pain decreased from 6 [5; 7] to 3 [2; 4] points in the MP subgroup and from 6.2 [5; 7] to 3 [3; 5.13] points in the IP subgroup); WOMAC pain (from 9 [7; 11] to 5 [3; 7] and from 9.5 [6.5; 12] to 5 [2.75; 8], respectively); WOMAC stiffness (from 4 [3; 4] to 2 [1; 4] and from 5 [3.75; 6] to 3 [1.75; 4], respectively); and WOMAC functional limitation (from 36 [24; 42] to 25 [12; 32] and from 40 [23.5; 43] to 24 [11.25; 35.25], respectively). Assessment of the anticytokine activity of Artra® showed that after 3 months of therapy, the levels of important proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines decreased statistically significantly: monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα) in the IP subgroup, and MCP-1, macrophage inflammatory protein 1β, and TNFα in the MP subgroup. Conclusion . Artra® is characterized by a significant symptomatic effect, including analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects, in patients with the OA phenotypes that are most difficult to treat, namely MP and IP. Our study confirmed the ability of the drug to reduce the production of several proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines that play an important role in the development and progression not only of OA but also of other agerelated diseases, including metabolic syndrome. The findings indicate that the drug can affect different components of OA pathogenesis, which supports its use in patients with comorbidities.
Source: Modern Rheumatology Journal
Subfield: Rheumatology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7203675110