Correlation between neuropeptide distribution, cancellous bone microstructure and joint pain in postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis and osteoporosis

•SP, CGRP and VIP were significantly higher in the cancellous bone of OA patients than those in OP, NPY was on the contrary•SP was positively correlated with AD, BV/TV, Tb.Th and negatively with MD, SMI in both OA and OP patients•The VAS score was correlated positively with SP, CGRP, VIP and negatively with NPY in both OA and OP patients

ObjectivesTo explore the relationship between the distribution of neuropeptides, cancellous bone microstructure and joint pain in postmenopausal women with osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP).MethodsCancellous bone of the femoral head was obtained at the time of hip arthroplasty from 20 postmenopausal women, 10 with OA and 10 with OP. Pain intensity was evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) before the operation. The microstructural parameters were measured with micro-CT and the neuropeptides of the cancellous bone were stained by an immunohistochemical method.ResultsWe observed that BV/TV, Tb.Th and Th.N values in the OP were significantly decreased compared to those in the OA. Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that the mean optical density (MOD) values for SP, CGRP, and VIP in the OA group were significantly higher than those in the OP, and the MOD value for NPY in the OA was significantly lower than that in the OP. We also observed that the MOD values for SP were positively correlated with AD, BV/TV, Tb.Th, Tb.N and Conn.D and negatively with MD, Tb.Sp and SMI in all patients. The MOD values for CGRP were positively correlated with AD, BV/TV and Tb.Th. MOD values for VIP were positively correlated with BV/TV and Tb.Th and negatively with SMI. The VAS score was correlated positively with the MOD values for SP, CGRP, VIP and negatively with NPY in all patients.ConclusionsNeuropeptides play an important role in the pathogenesis of OA and OP, which may cause pain and influence the bone microstructure.