Hiromasa Miura

Association between Dietary Habits and Knee Osteoarthritis in Japanese Older Adults: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: To elucidate whether dietary habits affect knee osteoarthritis, we analyzed data from past regional screening programs for arthritis and osteoporosis. Methods: Subjects comprised 493 Japanese individuals (120 men, 373 women; age range, 40-83 years) who participated in a regional screening program for arthritis and osteoporosis in a single town in southwestern Japan. Outcome measure was radiographically determined knee osteoarthritis, categorized according to the criteria of Kellgren and Lawrence as grade ≥ 2, 1 or 0. Associations between dietary habits and knee osteoarthritis were assessed by calculating odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals using a proportional odds model in logistic regression. Results: Odds ratio for knee osteoarthritis was decreased with daily coffee consumption at 40 years of age (odds ratio=0.48, 95% confidence interval=0.28-0.83). Female sex (odds ratio=2.19, 95% confidence interval=1.15-4.15), age (3rd vs. 1st tertile: odds ratio=14.9, 95% confidence interval=8.07-27.5), weight at 40 years of age (3rd vs. 1st tertile: odds ratio=2.50, 95% confidence interval=1.41-4.43), previous knee injury (odds ratio=2.01, 95% confidence interval=1.24-3.24), and physical worker (odds ratio=2.09, 95% confidence interval=1.41-3.11) were significantly associated with knee osteoarthritis. Conclusions: Daily coffee consumption at 40 years of age was inversely associated with severe radiographic knee osteoarthritis.

Detection of changes in bone quality of osteoporotic model induced by sciatic nerve resection by using Raman spectroscopy

To detect the bone quality loss in osteoporosis, we performed Raman spectroscopic analysis of sciatic nerve resection (NX) mice. Eight months after surgery, lower limbs were collected from the mice and fixed with 70% ethanol. Raman spectra of anterior cortical surface of the proximal tibia at 5 points in each bone were measured by RENISHAW inVia Raman Microscope. Excitation wave length was 785 nm. We also performed DXA and micro CT measurement to confirm the bone mineral density and bone microstructure in the osteoporotic model induced by sciatic nerve resection. In the result of Raman spectroscopy, we detected changes of Raman peak intensity ratio in carbonate/phosphate, mineral/combined proline and hydroxyproline and mineral/phenylalanine. In addition, in the result of micro CT, we found significant changes in VOX BV/TV, Trabecular number, thickness, cancellous bone mineral density, cortical thickness and cortical bone mineral density. The results suggest that not only the bone mineral density but also bone quality reduced in the NX mice. We conclude that Raman spectroscopy is a useful for bone quality assessment as a complementary technique for conventional diagnostics.

Evaluation of degenerative changes in articular cartilage of osteoarthritis by Raman spectroscopy

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a very common joint disease in the aging population. Main symptom of OA is accompanied by degenerative changes of articular cartilage. Cartilage contains mostly type II collagen and proteoglycans, so it is difficult to access the quality and morphology of cartilage tissue in situ by conventional diagnostic tools (X-ray, MRI and echography) directly or indirectly. Raman spectroscopy is a label-free technique which enables to analyze molecular composition in degenerative cartilage. In this proposal, we aim to develop Raman spectroscopic system for the quality assessment of articular cartilage during arthroscopic surgery. Toward this goal, we are focusing on the proteoglycan content and collagen fiber alignment in cartilage matrix which may be associated with degenerative changes in OA, and we designed an original Raman device for remote sensing during arthroscopic surgery. In this project, we define the grading system for cartilage defect based on Raman spectroscopy, and we complete the evaluation of the Raman probing system which makes it possible to detect early stage of degenerative cartilage as a novel tool for OA diagnosis using human subject.