IntroductionThere is now compelling evidence that adipose tissue is metabolically active and that adipose derived metabolic factors can have physiological effects [1,2]. In adults, fat exists primarily as white adipose tissue. This tissue is widely distributed throughout the body with the two most prevalent forms being subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT).SAT accounts for the vast majority of all the fat in the body [3,4] and potentially is a major source of adipose derived factors in the systemic circulation [5]. Each type of adipose tissue displays unique phenotypic and genotypic characteristics [6]. Some have suggested that each fat type may have differing developmental lineages that play a role in body fat distribution, obesity and the variety of functional properties of various adipose tissue sites in the body [7]. Previous work has shown that inflammatory hormones secreted by adipocytes and macrophages can significantly affect expression levels of leptin, adiponectin, tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin 6 (IL-6) in SAT [1,[8][9][10]. The systemic release of these adipose-derived hormones is thought to be responsible for the low-grade inflammatory state commonly observed in obese individuals [6,11,12].The link between obesity and osteoarthritis (OA) has long been established [13]. This link is in part believed to be a metabolic one [13], in addition to the recognized impact of increasing mechanical forces on weight-bearing joints [12]. Many individuals experience OA symptoms in non-weight bearing joints as well [14][15][16]. Indeed, studies are revealing associations between levels of adipose-derived factors in blood and/or synovial fluid and the presence or severity of osteoarthritis, particularly the knee [17,18].Osteoarthritis is most prevalent in the knee [15], and association between OA and obesity has been particularly marked for this joint [16]. Thus, the knee likely provides an ideal setting in which to examine any potential role(s) of fat on OA development/progression, particularly as it is the only joint to contain a large intra-articular deposit of adipose tissue. The infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) is an intracapsular and extrasynovial structure, distinguishable from SAT and VAT by its unique location and relative size [19][20][21][22][23][24].
AbstractObjective: Previous research has examined gene expression of the IFP from individuals with early and endstage knee OA. However, there is little understanding of whether the differential expression that was found is a local effect associated with OA disease severity. The objective of this study was to compare gene expression of the SAT and IFP both within individuals with early and late stage knee OA.Methods: Knee SAT and corresponding IFP samples were harvested from twenty-nine patients with endstage and five patients with early stage OA at the time of knee surgery. Total RNA was then extracted, labelled and hybridized to Illumina whole genome expression arrays. Arrays were scanned and intensity of hybridi...