Osteoarthritis is a painful long term joint condition that is associated with poor quality of life. There are no treatments to prevent it. Inflammation is one cause of osteoarthritis. This inflammation is complex. It involves many joint tissues, like cartilage and fat. It also involves many proteins that act as inflammatory 'signals'. Safely targeting these proteins with medications has so far proved ineffective. Physiotherapy and weight loss can help osteoarthritis, but there is a need for other approaches. Blueberries are rich in natural chemicals called polyphenols; these have well-established anti-inflammatory effects. Blueberries and other fruits may improve osteoarthritis symptoms, but the investigators do not know how this improvement happens. It may be that these foods reduce inflammation within the joint tissues. They will investigate this. This will help us to understand 1) how blueberries improve osteoarthritis symptoms and 2) whether dietary supplementation with blueberries could slow down joint damage in osteoarthritis, rather than just improving symptoms. Additionally, high levels of joint inflammation predict poorer recovery from joint replacement surgery. Therefore, blueberry supplementation may hasten this recovery. Fifty eight people scheduled to have a knee replacement for osteoarthritis will receive either six weeks blueberry supplementation or a placebo pre-surgery. Participants will continue the supplementation for six weeks after surgery. First, this study will use tissue samples (cartilage, fat and the joint lining called synovium) obtained during surgery to investigate the effects of pre-operative blueberry supplementation on markers of joint inflammation. Second, this study will assess the ability of dietary supplementation with blueberries to improve the symptoms of osteoarthritis. Finally, this study will investigate the effect of blueberry supplementation on recovery from total knee replacement. Our investigations may provide evidence to support dietary supplementation with blueberries to slow down osteoarthritis progression and to improve recovery from osteoarthritis joint replacement surgery.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
58
The intervention in this study is 12 weeks of daily blueberry supplementation which is comprised of freeze-dried powdered whole blueberries i.e., blueberries with water removed.
The intervention in this study is 12 weeks of daily maltodextrin supplement used to mimic the carbohydrate composition of whole blueberries.
Royal Devon University Hospital
Honiton, Devon, United Kingdom
Concentration of TNF-ALPHA gene expression in joint tissue (synovium, infrapatellar adipose tissue and cartilage)
Inflammatory protein
Time frame: In knee at time of surgery (when replaced)
Concentration of broad panel of Inflammatory and pro-cartilage cytokines samples
Using multiplex immunoassay including but not limited to at TNFα, IL-6, IL-10 and IL-1β, MIP1α, Galectin 1, Chemerin, Eotaxin, gp130, MCP-1, IL-7, MIP3α, IL-15, Aggrecan, Resistin, Leptin, MIP1β, MMP-1, MMP-3 and MMP-13
Time frame: Baseline and pre-operatively
Concentration of broad panel of Inflammatory and pro-cartilage degradative gene and protein expression markers
Using RTqPCR and immunoblotting including but not limited to TNFα, IL-6, IL1β, IL-8, IL-10, IL-18, IL-7, IL-15, MCP1, LEP, ADIPOQ, NAMPT, RETN, TGFB1, MMP1, MMP2, MMP3, MMP9, MMP13, TIMP1, TIMP2, TIMP3, TIMP4, ADAMTS4, ADAMTS5, , ACAN, COL1A1, COL2A1, COL13A1, COL14A1, COL15A1, DKK1, CCL2, CCL3, CCL4, CCL5, CCL7, CCL8, CCL11, CCL20, CX3CL1, CCR3, CCR2, LGALS1, RARRES2, and IL6ST
Time frame: In knee at time of surgery (when replaced)
Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index Score
Validated questionnaire (0-96 where a higher score is worse)
Time frame: Baseline, week 3, week 6, post-surgery, weeks 7, 9 and 12
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