Objectives: This multicenter research was designed to assess the diagnostic applicability of serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) estimation in patients with atraumatic knee pain so as to define osteoarthritis (OA) patients.
Patients & Methods: The study comprised 100 females with atraumatic knee pain in either knee joints for > 15 days & 20 blood donors who served as the control group for serum COMP levels. The included cases subjected to a comprehensive history, clinical examination, and extent of patient mobility assessment via mobility score & pain severity assessment via a visual analogue scale (VAS). Through the Kellgren-Lawrence scoring system (K-L score), anteroposterior knee radiographs of all cases were assessed. Based on the radiological findings, patients were categorized to 2 presumed groups: group A: included 44 cases, with mild radiographically determined OA & pain with no dubious, group B: included 56 cases with pain & radiographically determined OA. All patients and control provided venous blood samples for measurement of serum COMP levels by ELISA.
Results: Patients had significantly higher COMP serum levels than control group and in group B than both controls & group A, with significantly higher level in group A than control. COMP serum levels were negatively correlated with mobility score and positively correlated with age, BMI, radiological grade & pain VAS score. Evaluation of clinical parameters vs serum COMP levels for distinguishing between cases with & without OA radiological findings using ROC curve analysis determined by AUC defined estimation of serum COMP had the highest AUC of 0.689%. Determination of the disease-specific cutoff value for serum COMP using ROC curve analysis. The 1430 ng/ml cutoff point is more specific than the 1370 ng/ml cutoff point, with AUC values of 0.770 and 0.431, respectively.
Conclusion: In cases with atraumatic knee pain, serum COMP levels evaluation may utilized as a screening test to define those with liability of developing OA and to diagnose patients already had OA with high sensitivity rate 76.4% at level of 1370 ng/ml and high specificity rate of 86.4% at level of at 1430 ng/ml.
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