CLINICAL AND BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS INDUCED BY SAPROPELIC MUD FROM THE LAKE TECHIRGHIOL IN PATIENTS WITH OSTEOARTHRITIS

摘要

It is a well-known fact that the pathogenic mechanism of osteoarthritis has not been yet fully revealed. Obesity has an important role both through its mechanic role and through the variety of secreted substances of the fat tissue. One of the substances is called adiponectin, intensively studied in recent years, gaining more and more important valences in this context. The study was conducted on a batch of 32 patients, between 40- and 80-year old, diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis, hospitalised in Balneal and Rehabilitation Sanatorium Techirghiol. The seric level of adiponectin and the level of pain (visual analogue scale of pain-VAS score) were evaluated before the admission and after 10 days of complex balneal treatment (sapropelic mud, mineral water from the lake, massage, kineto-therapy). For the statistical analysis of the data, SPSS 18.0 programme was used. It was evidenced a statistically significant decrease (p ＜ 0.05) of serum levels of adiponectin after 10 days of treatment. Pain assessed by VAS decreased significantly (p ＜ 0.0001). Data obtained suggest that bameo-physical therapy influences the adipokines, and this aspect can be regarded as a step forward in the discerning of the osteoarthritis pathogenic mechanism.