Patients to aid arthritis research

5:03pm Friday 12th October 2007

Comments (1)   Have your say »

More than 650 patients at an Oxford hospital are being recruited to take part in the "most important study ever funded" by the Arthritis Research Campaign.

City scientists are leading the £2.2m study - the world's first search to pinpoint a small number of human genes responsible for osteoarthritis.

The research project, which was announced today to coincide with World Arthritis Day, will be the largest study of its kind.

It could help doctors screen patients for osteoarthritis earlier in life and develop new treatments against the condition.

Led by geneticist Dr John Loughlin, of Oxford University's Nuffield Department for Orthopaedic Surgery, researchers will screen DNA from 8,000 people suffering from osteoarthritis of the hip and knee, as well as 6,000 healthy people, to compare the differences.

Volunteers will include more than 650 patients treated at the Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre.

Osteoarthritis is the most common type of arthritis, affecting more than two million older people in the UK. It causes pain and stiffness as cartilage around joints wears away. There is no effective treatment and painkillers often carry a high risk of side effects.

Dr Loughlin said: "Osteoarthritis is an extremely debilitating disease characterised by joint pain and reduced mobility, and is the biggest cause of disability in older people bar none.

"Genetic factors play a major role in its development. Identifying them will help us to understand why the disease occurs, and will assist in the development of new treatments by identifying new molecular targets."

It is already known that people whose parents and siblings have osteoarthritis are up to three times more likely to develop the condition themselves.

But there are other factors such as obesity, sports injuries and heavy manual work.

Anyone in Oxfordshire who has osteoarthritis and has had or is waiting for a knee or hip replacement, and would like to take part in the research, should contact Bridget Watkins on 01865 737538.

Retired medical researcher Anne Lowe, who was diagnosed with osteoarthritis five years ago, said she would definitely like to help.

The 74-year-old, who lives with her husband Christopher, 77, in The Walk, Islip, has already had her right knee joint replaced, and is due to have an operation on the left one later this month.

She said: "I get shooting pains through the joint and a dull ache all the time. I love walking and it prevents me from taking long walks any more because it's too painful.

"My knee replacement was very good and did relieve most of the pain in the right side, but I do have to take pain killers. My mother suffered from arthritis in her knees and when she got ill she could hardly straighten her legs."