IMMUNOLOGY

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common chronic disabling disease for which few effective treatments exist, and no disease-modifying drugs (i.e., treatments that can prevent, improve, or stop the progression of OA) exist. Mounting evidence suggests that mast cell activation and allergic pathways may play key roles in OA pathogenesis. We conducted a retrospective cohort study with propensity score matching using claims data and electronic health record data and compared cohorts of patients with atopic disease (either asthma or atopic dermatitis or both) versus patients without atopic disease, as well as patients with asthma compared with patients with COPD. We found a significant association between having allergic diseases such as asthma and/or atopic dermatitis and having an increased risk of developing OA. We are hopeful that this work will lead to future interventional studies to investigate whether inhibition of mast cells and/or allergic pathways may be beneficial in preventing or..

Primary location: Stanford United States