Bone Abstracts

The pathogenesis of tendinopathy remains unclear. Small integrin-binding ligand N-linked glycoproteins, a family of non-collagenous proteins including osteopontin (OPN) and bone sialoprotein (BSP), were initially thought to be limited to mineralized tissue but recent studies showed that they are more widely distributed and are expressed in nonmineralized tissues. Musculoskeletal tissue cells are categorized as the same functional unit developed from the mesenchymal stem cells. This theoretical background led us to hypothesize that OPN and BSP could be involved tendinopathy pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate relationship between serum OPN and BSP levels and tendinopathy disease. Thirty-nine female tendinopathy patients and 39 female healthy volunteers were recruited for this prospective observational study. Serum OPN and BSP levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. We also measured body mass index and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), white blood cells (WBC) and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR). There was no significant differences in serum BSP levels between two groups (41,83±52,03 vs. 53,64±53,06 ng/ml, P=0.276). There was also no significant differences in serum OPN levels between two groups (57,37±21,61 vs. 77,72±72,14 ng/ml, P=0,363 respectively). There were no significant differences in WBC, NLR and ESR values between two groups (P=0,897, P=0.795, P=0,405 respectively). There was no correlation between serum BSP levels and OPN, WBC, NLR and ESR levels in patients group. Patients with tendinopathy had a negative correlation between serum OPN levels and NLR levels. The results of this study have indicated that BSP and OPN levels are not involved in pathogenesis of tendinopathy.