Biomedical Research 2012 Volume 23 Issue 3 405 Biomedical Research 2012; 23 (3): 405-407 ISSN 0970-939X Scientific Publishers of India Bone protective effects of estrogen hormone in knee osteoarthritic female patients Pradeep Sharma* Adil Rahman*, K Jawad*, V Singh**, Nishee Mishra**, Himanshu Jain* *Department of Biochemistry, U.P. RIMS&R Saifai, Etawah (U.P.), India ** Department of Microbiology, Barkatullah Univerity Bhopal (M.P.), India Abstract Osteoarthritis of knee joints is a disease of old age female sex. It is very common in post me- nopausal females. It is characterized by narrowing of space in joints due to inflammation. The exact mechanism of inflammation is not clear. The present study is being carried out in 150 female subject of age group 40-60 years suffering from osteoarthritis of knee joints and 50 normal healthy control female subjects of same age group. A correlation is made between TNF-α, IL-6 and estrogen hormone and found significant inverse correlation (< 0.001) be- tween estrogen hormone and TNF-α, IL-6 in osteoarthritic female patients as compared to normal healthy control female age group. Estrogen hormone plays a bone protective effect of knee osteoarthritic disease. Keywords: Estrogen hormone, TNF-α, IL-6 Accepted May 21 2012 Introduction Osteoarthritis is one of the most common musculoskeletal disorders of elderly female subject. Osteoarthritis in- volves the entire synovial joint, encompassing the carti- lage, synovium and underlying bone [1, 2]. The cells in each of these tissues have independent capacities to initi- ate and respond to injury in the joint, ultimately resulting in degeneration of cartilage. It has been reported that in the female severity of osteoarthritis could be prevented due to protective role of estrogen upto the time of meno- pause. It also act as a bone protective hormone in the fe- male and these bone protective effects could be mediated by paracrine mechanism involving the non osteoclastic cell modulation of osteoclast formation and activity [3]. Such indirect action appears to decrease the levels of IL-6 and TNF-α in osteoarthritic female patients. Estrogen de- pletion after menopause or ovariectomy may activate TNF-α, IL-1 [4]. These finding suggest that TNF-α, IL-6 could mediate the loss of bone in estrogen deficiency in females [5]. Therefore the present work is being done to correlate estrogen hormone level TNF-α, IL-6 in females suffering from knee joint osteoarthritis. Materials and Methods The study was conducted (with institutional ethical com- mittee approval) in 150 female patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis with age group of 40-60 years. They are clinically & radiological diagnosed osteoarthritis pa- tients attending OPD of Orthopaedic department- J.A Group of Hospital, G.R. Medical College Gwalior (M.P.), for regular checkup. 50 normal healthy female control subjects of same age group have also been included in our study for statistical comparison. 5.0 ml of blood was collected from all the subjects in fast- ing condition and the serum was separated and stored as - 20 0 C until used. The estrogen hormones, TNF-α, IL-6 were estimated by EIA GEN estrodial kit, Duoset ELISA techniques, Accucyte ELISA development system and respectively in Biochemistry Department. All estimation were done in duplicate and the mean value were calculated. The Student independent ‘t’test was used for the statistical analysis for the data. The written consent were also taken from patients prior to study. Result In the knee osteoarthritic female subjects of age group 40- 60 years, the status of TNF-α and IL-6 were found in- creased as compared to control group of females. In this group, the mean value of TNF-α (4.23± 0.98 ng/ml), and IL-6 (3.84± 1.01 ng/ml), indicate a significantly increased